12-year-old girl swept away as hundreds displaced by floods in Nairobi

A 12-year-old girl was swept away as floods wrecked havoc in different parts of the country, displacing hundreds of families.

Efforts to rescue the young girl were unsuccessful as the raging waters broke the walls before sweeping her and everything inside the house into the river.

Hundreds of households were also affected following the heavy downpour witnessed on Wednesday evening through the night in Nairobi and most parts of the country.

Around 5am on Thursday morning, residents of Waruku area of Kangemi in Nairobi were woken up by raging floods following a heavy downpour that pounded the city.

Grade 6 pupil Ashley Nyaboke and her mother were deep asleep when their house was flooded breaking the walls before sweeping her away into the nearby river.

The search mission that began at 6am on Thursday continued for the better part of the day but was hampered by the heavy downpour witnessed later in the afternoon.

The family has since pleaded with the government to help find the body of their daughter.

The flood came with no warning to more than 100 households, the raging floods sweeping everything in their path. The affected residents who lost goods worth thousands of shillings now have no place to call home.

Emily Simiyu, one of the affected residents, said: “Nilikuwa nimelala usiku nikaskia nje kunafurika...vitu tuliacha ndani lakini mingi ilienda.”

Dagoretti North Member of Parliament who visited the affected families has urged Nairobi residents living along the riverbanks to evacuate immediately.

Elsewhere, hundreds of residents were displaced in Godoma and Watiti villages in Moyale, Marsabit County following the heavy rains that pounded the region.

Several houses have been destroyed by the floods; ironically, the region has witnessed a prolonged season of drought.

The Kenya Meteorological Department predicts that the March 2023 rains will be below average in most parts of the country.