Flash floods triggered by heavy overnight rains killed at least 10 people across Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Saturday, sweeping away cars and disrupting flights at East Africa’s busiest airport, authorities said.
Aid workers and residents recovered bodies from floodwaters in several parts of the city as rivers burst their banks following intense rainfall.
In the industrial neighbourhood of Grogan, security guard John Lomayan, 34, said he recognised the body of an elderly roadside egg seller trapped beneath a car that had been swept away when the Nairobi River overflowed.
“I saw him being carried by the water from up there,” Lomayan said, pointing up the road. “We didn’t know where he had gone. It is only now that we see him under the car.”
A Reuters reporter saw three bodies pulled from beneath vehicles, while police said the confirmed death toll had reached 10.
The flooding also disrupted air traffic. Kenya Airways said several flights to Nairobi were delayed or diverted, with some aircraft redirected to the coastal city of Mombasa.
Scientists say climate change is intensifying floods and droughts across East Africa by concentrating rainfall into shorter and more intense bursts. A 2024 World Weather Attribution study found that climate change had doubled the likelihood of devastating rainfall events in the region.
Residents described chaotic scenes as floodwaters rushed through streets, carrying away vehicles and debris.
“So many cars, so much stuff, I don’t know. Everything was just washed away,” said Nairobi resident Cedric Mwanza, referring to the swollen Nairobi River.