NAIROBI, KENYA – In a devastating event, a dam collapsed in western Kenya, leading to the deaths of at least 45 individuals, with dozens more reported missing. The episode occurred on Monday morning as the Old Kijabe Dam in the Mai Mahiu area gave way. This region, located within the Great Rift Valley, is particularly susceptible to flash floods.
The water released by the collapse swept through housing settlements and inundated a major throughway. It carried along a destructive wave of mud, rocks, and uprooted plant life, causing chaos and damage across the area. Eye-witness accounts depict entangled vehicles amid the rubble along the bustling Kenyan highway, with large expanses vividly submerged.
With over a hundred people hospitalized and approximately 49 still missing, the Kenya Red Cross is hard at work managing the crisis. A local resident, William Lokai, described how the onrush of water flooding his house woke him up, resulting in a harrowing rooftop escape with his family.
This is not the first flood-related incident in Kenya this year. Ongoing downpours have already resulted in nearly 100 fatalities and hampered the reopening of schools. The country’s Meteorology Department has cautioned citizens, predicting further rainfall.
In anticipation of future calamities and to preempt any preventable disasters, Kenya’s Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, has enacted an immediate 24-hour inspection of all public and private dams and reservoirs starting from Monday.
The entire East African region has been grappling with flooding issues due to the heavy rains, with reported fatalities in Tanzania and over 200,000 victims in neighboring Burundi.