Kenya Floods, Landslides Kill 18 in Past Week

Heavy rains battering Kenya have killed at least 18 people over the past week through flooding and landslides, police reported Sunday, as authorities warned of worsening conditions in the East African nation.

Most of the deaths were attributed to drowning, according to police statements. The Interior Ministry reported that more than 54,000 households have been affected nationwide, including 6,000 in the capital, Nairobi. Dozens of schools and hospitals have flooded, while 17 roads remain cut off. Landslides have struck central and eastern regions, including Tharaka Nithi, Elgeyo-Marakwet, and Kiambu counties, displacing thousands from the western Rift Valley. Two bridges sustained damage in Kwale county on the coast and Kitui in the east, and a landslide blocked the Iten-Kabarnet road, prompting traffic diversions by the Kenya National Highways Authority.

In Nairobi, streets in neighborhoods like Makongeni and Ruai overflowed with water, leading traders to protest Sunday over impassable roads that have crippled businesses. The Kenya Red Cross noted unconfirmed reports of missing persons and marooned households in the densely populated Mukuru Kwa Njenga area, where it is...