Floods in Kenya raise the risk of waterborne diseases

What is the current flood situation in Kenya?

Since late March, Kenya has experienced unusually heavy rainfall, leading to widespread flooding across the country. Over the past two weeks, flooding has severely impacted approximately 30 counties, resulting in loss of life, infrastructure damage, and disruption to daily activities. 

Official reports confirm more than 200 deaths and 90 people still missing, with many others injured or displaced from their homes.  In late April, our staff conducted needs assessments in Eastlands, Nairobi, and Homa Bay, and continued in the following days in other locations in the country. In Eastlands, our teams have seen about 1,000 displaced individuals temporarily housed in nine locations, such as schools and government buildings. Many others affected by the floods had sought refuge with family and friends. 

What are the main needs MSF teams have found on the ground?

Some people have lost loved ones; we found a few who were in acute mental trauma. The people who have been displaced have lost everything, including shelter and clothing, and children are more vulnerable, [with] some cases of hypothermia.

The destruction of latrines leads to poor water and sanitation conditions, as people are forced to use river water sometimes because there is no safe water available. The immediate needs include shelter, access to safe water and sanitation, access to health care, mental health needs, access to medicines for people with chronic diseases, and access to food.

How is MSF responding?

We launched our intervention in Nairobi on Saturday, April 26, focusing on immediate needs like drinking water and sanitation. We distributed around 4,000 gallons of clean drinking water and provided 200 jerrycans for those lacking containers. To address sanitation concerns, we set up mobile latrines at various sites where displaced people had gathered.

Recognizing that many had lost everything, including clothing, we distributed warm clothes to about 500 children [who are] vulnerable to hypothermia and respiratory issues. To support medical care, our clinic in Mathare, Lavender House—where we typically handle trauma cases—expanded services to meet a broader range of health needs of the displaced communities in the area.

We also offered mental health support, with our psychologists providing counseling to those experiencing acute trauma, such as a mother who tragically lost her child in the floods.

She was holding her child in the middle of the waters. It was very strong running water and the father was trying to pull the mother. The mother was trying to pull the child, but then at one point the water forced her to let go of the child. We met her in one of the Mathare camps. She was devastated, with mixed feelings of guilt, despair, and anger.

In addition to the Eastlands, our teams in Homa Bay also assessed the situation across the county, where about 700 internally displaced people had gathered in schools and other locations. Due to flooding from overflowing rivers, health facilities were overwhelmed, and supplies were exhausted. MSF [opened] mobile clinics to provide primary care and connect patients with chronic conditions to our Homa Bay facilities for ongoing treatment. We are also planning to install additional sanitation facilities like toilets to meet the demand.

In Nakuru County, water that accumulated in one of the railway tunnels forced its way downhill, causing a devastating flood that struck Mai-Mahiu, causing deaths and destroying homes, cars, and infrastructure. At least 50 people died, with many more injured or missing. MSF assessed the area and supported a local health center with medical supplies, such as dressing kits, as the center's staff were exhausted and their resources depleted.

What are the risks in the coming days and weeks, as it will likely continue to rain? 

Flood-related risks extend beyond immediate injuries and displacement. Waterborne diseases like cholera and mosquito-borne illnesses such as malaria are significant concerns. MSF is prepared to increase disease surveillance and collaborate with hospitals to respond to potential outbreaks. Additionally, heavy rains persist, with forecasts indicating continued rainfall into early May. This ongoing weather pattern heightens the risk of further damage to houses.

The impact of these floods is profound, with long-term implications for livelihoods, infrastructure, and mental health. While MSF addresses urgent medical needs, broader recovery will require sustained efforts from multiple sectors, including the government, to rebuild and support affected communities.

Flood-related health risks are numerous, including respiratory infections, asthma attacks, and complications from interrupted medication regimens for chronic diseases. The risks of waterborne diseases like cholera have increased, since Kenya has regions like Nairobi where cholera is seasonal. In the aftermath, an increase in breeding sites for mosquitos [which breed in water] may lead to malaria outbreaks. And ultimately, there is a risk of buildings falling.  

MSF remains committed to addressing these challenges and working with communities, local authorities, and agencies to provide comprehensive support to people affected by this unprecedented flooding crisis in Kenya.