Nairobi 'overwhelmed' by raging floods - senator

Flooding in Kenyan capital city Nairobi has "escalated to extreme levels" and local authorities are "clearly overwhelmed", a senator has warned.

Edwin Sifuna, who oversees Nairobi county, raised the alarm on social media platform X while posting footage showing an entire neighborhood inundated by muddy floodwater.

In the clip, residents can be seen trapped on the roof of their house.

Hundreds of others in Nairobi and nearby areas were also marooned by floods following heavy rains overnight.

"We need all national emergency services mobilized to save lives," Mr Sifuna said.

The East African nation has been witnessing heavy rains for weeks.

On Wednesday morning, Kenya Railways said the floods had affected rail lines, making it hard for trains to operate.

The company said safety concerns had compelled it to suspend services.

Major highways, including Mombasa Road and Thika Road, were submerged by floodwater, causing traffic jams during peak hours in the morning.

The busy Namanga Road, heading to the Tanzanian border, was overwhelmed after the nearby Athi River burst its banks on Wednesday morning.

Red Cross Kenya says its response teams are operating in most of the flooded areas, evacuating families to safety and providing other life-saving interventions.

Residents of some estates in Nairobi have also been left homeless after their houses were submerged by the raging floods.

The downpours are forecast to continue.


About 35 people have died since last month in flooding and more than 100,000 affected