At least ten people have died in Nairobi after heavy rains on Friday night, March 6, caused widespread flooding across the city. The downpour, which began in the late afternoon, overwhelmed the capital’s drainage system and left roads, homes, and businesses submerged.
Nairobi Police Commander George Seda reported that eight of the fatalities occurred when floodwaters swept away people, some of whom were trapped inside vehicles.
Two additional deaths were linked to separate electrocution incidents caused by the storm. The flooding also left at least 71 vehicles stranded as major roads became impassable.
Senator Edwin Sifuna expressed concern over the loss of life, noting that many others could have perished though official figures are still pending. "Sadly, the County disaster team has confirmed to me that multiple lives were also lost. My office has sent out teams to assess the situation and see how we can help," he said.
The senator emphasized that leadership at all levels of the county should take responsibility for the disaster rather than shifting blame. He added that the floods highlight a series of failures over time. "As part of the leadership in Nairobi, you will hear no excuses from me. Yesterday’s flood situation was an indictment. We know it’s a sum total of many failures, but mostly failures of leadership. We must do better because you don’t deserve this," Sifuna said.
He further urged the county to conduct a comprehensive review of Nairobi’s drainage system and adapt it to current realities, warning that piecemeal interventions are not enough.
"For all those who slept on the roads, those counting losses from the flood damage, poleni sana. Meanwhile, it is obvious that we need a comprehensive review of how the city drains because the piecemeal interventions are not working. I extend my deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones last night. Poleni sana," he added.
The Kenya Meteorological Department had predicted the heavy rains, which continued for several hours. Nairobi’s long-standing drainage challenges resurfaced as stormwater overwhelmed existing channels.
Flooding was reported in multiple areas, including sections of the CBD, Uhuru Highway, Mbagathi Way, Mombasa Road, Thika Superhighway, Jogoo Road, Lunga Lunga Road, Enterprise Road, and Lang’ata Road near T-Mall.
Other affected neighbourhoods included Pipeline, Embakasi, Mukuru, Kibra, Mathare, Huruma, Baba Dogo, Bosnia, South B, South C, Nairobi West, Lang’ata, Umoja 3, Chokaa, Njiru, Ruai, Utawala, Roysambu, Kahawa West, Githurai, Loresho, and parts of Westlands.
The Kenya Red Cross deployed teams to conduct search-and-rescue operations in affected areas. Uhuru Highway was particularly hard hit between Westlands Roundabout and University Way, where private cars and 33-seater matatus were submerged, forcing passengers to form human chains to navigate safely.
Lang’ata Road and Mbagathi Way were flooded after the Mbagathi River overflowed, submerging vehicles in the process. South C shopping centre, downtown Nairobi, and the road near Yaya Centre in Kilimani were also inundated.
In response, the Moja Expressway Company opened its elevated road for free to ease traffic as Mombasa Road became impassable, causing hours-long jams. Many residents also faced property damage as floodwaters entered homes, adding to the destruction left by the storm.