Residents and businesses across Nairobi are assessing significant losses after heavy rains on the evening of Friday, March 6, triggered severe flooding in several parts of the capital, leaving rescue efforts largely in the hands of the Kenya Red Cross Society.
Dramatic images circulating online showed vehicles almost completely submerged on major roads, with some reportedly swept away by fast-moving floodwaters. Businesses and homes were also inundated as water levels rose rapidly across the city.
In a statement, the Kenya Red Cross confirmed it had stepped in to respond to the crisis. “Heavy rainfall has caused flooding in several parts of Nairobi and surrounding areas, leading to road closures, property damage, displacement and distress among affected communities,” the organization said.
Several key roads were rendered impassable, including sections of Uhuru Highway, Mbagathi Way, Mombasa Road between South C and the JKIA exit, Thika Superhighway from Githurai to Kahawa Sukari, Jogoo Road, Lunga Lunga Road, Enterprise Road, and Lang’ata Road near T-Mall.
One widely shared video showed passengers stranded in a PSV bus along Uhuru Highway near the Haile Selassie exit of the Nairobi Expressway. The bus was nearly three-quarters submerged, forcing passengers to hold hands in a chain to reach higher ground.
According to the Red Cross, first responders rescued at least 20 people stranded along Kirinyaga Road and moved them to safety.
Flooding also affected numerous residential estates, including Pipeline, Embakasi, Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Kibra, Mathare, Huruma, Baba Dogo, South B, South C, Lang’ata, Umoja, Roysambu, Kahawa West, and parts of Westlands.
While the Kenya Defence Forces later assisted with traffic control and vehicle towing in areas such as Kariokor and Mbagathi Roundabout, humanitarian responders from the Red Cross remained at the forefront of rescue and emergency response efforts.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Meteorological Department has warned that more rainfall is expected as the long rains season begins.