Nairobi Flash Floods Kill 23, Paralyzing Kenya’s Capital City

Flash floods that struck Nairobi overnight into Saturday killed at least 23 people, swept away vehicles and disrupted air travel at East Africa’s busiest airport.

Authorities said the flooding began late at night when intense rainfall caused the Nairobi River to overflow, sending powerful torrents through residential and industrial areas of the Kenyan capital. Emergency crews spent the morning recovering bodies from floodwaters and wrecked vehicles scattered across the city.

Kenyan President William Ruto announced the deployment of emergency responders, including soldiers, to assist with rescue operations and coordinate relief distribution.

“I have also ordered that relief food from our national strategic reserves be immediately released and distributed to families affected by the floods,” Ruto said in a statement posted on social media.

The flooding was particularly severe in low-lying areas such as Grogan, an industrial neighborhood near the Nairobi River. Residents described chaotic scenes as fast-moving water swept through streets carrying vehicles and debris.

Security guard John Lomayan, 34, witnessed one of the fatalities when an elderly street vendor was carried away by the floodwaters.

“I saw him being carried by the water from up there,” Lomayan said, pointing toward higher ground. “We didn’t know where he had gone. It is only now that we see him under the car.”

Reuters reported witessing at least three bodies recovered from beneath vehicles that had been overturned or washed downstream.

Some victims died after coming into contact with damaged electrical infrastructure. Kenya Power said floodwaters had damaged equipment at a substation, causing power outages across 14 neighborhoods in Nairobi.

The flooding also disrupted transport networks and aviation operations. Kenya Airways said heavy rainfall forced several inbound flights to divert to the coastal city of Mombasa, while other services to Nairobi were delayed.

The disruption affected operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the largest aviation hub in East Africa and a critical transit point connecting African, Middle Eastern and European routes.

Local residents described widespread destruction as floodwaters overwhelmed roads and drainage systems. “So many cars, so much stuff, I don’t know. Everything was just washed away,” said Cedric Mwanza, a resident living near the Nairobi River.

Bus driver John Mwai said he converted his vehicle into a temporary rescue platform, transporting stranded passengers and pedestrians to higher ground.

Scientists say extreme rainfall events across East Africa are becoming more intense due to climate change. According to a 2024 World Weather Attribution study, climate change has made devastating rainfall in the region twice as likely as in previous decades.

Rather than increasing total rainfall evenly throughout the year, global warming is concentrating precipitation into shorter, more powerful bursts. These intense downpours overwhelm drainage systems and increase the risk of flash floods in rapidly expanding urban areas such as Nairobi.

The Kenyan capital has experienced several severe flood events in recent years as urbanization expands into flood-prone zones along riverbanks and wetlands.

Government authorities have mobilized emergency teams to search for survivors and assist displaced residents. Rescue teams including police, firefighters and military personnel were deployed across affected districts to clear debris and restore infrastructure.

Officials said recovery operations continued through Saturday, with emergency services working to stabilize damaged power networks and reopen flooded roads.

Authorities also began distributing emergency food supplies from national reserves to families affected by the disaster.