UPDATE: Two dead as floods wreak havoc in Ruai
Heavy rains that pounded parts of Nairobi on Tuesday night left two people dead and hundreds in Ruai and Kamulu residents counting losses.
The two men died after they were washed away by flash floods. Kenya Red Cross confirmed the deaths.
“We recovered one body today (Wednesday) morning of an adult male and we have received information of another missing male body,” said a Kenya Red Cross official Mr Nicholas Thuo.
The most affected areas included Kamulu area 26, Gituamba, Joska, Kingo’ri and Ruai Block 10 where the floods destroyed roads and submerged crops.
Numerous houses were marooned and others had their roofs blown off by strong winds.
Red Cross in conjunction with the fire brigade evacuated people who were stuck in their homes.
“We rescued four people at mid-night and called off the operation until today (Wednesday) in the morning because of the heavy rain and inaccessibility of the area,” said Mr Thuo.
Mr Ken Otieno was lucky that no one in his household got injured when the roof of a neighbour’s house landed on his house and partly destroyed it.
“I had just parked my car from work at around 5.00 p.m. My wife had just come out of the bathroom when we heard a bang on the side of our bathroom only to come and find that it was the roof of our neighbour’s house which had landed on our house,” said Mr Otieno.
Peter Mbugua lost his friend Mr Mwaura in the floods, while Peter Nyaa lost his employee.
Mr Nyaa told Nairobi News that he had warned the deceased the employee, Ndivo Munyao, not to go home in the rain but he seemed in a hurry.
“His wife called me around 11.00 p.m. to ask me about his whereabouts. It was only in the morning when I confirmed that indeed he was washed away by the floods,” he said.
Elizabeth Nyambura, 90 years, was lucky to be saved by her neighbour Meshack Kimondo when her house flooded to the level of her bed.