This is a rapid onset humanitarian crisis caused by flash flooding following heavy rainfall in various places at the onset of the long rain season in Kenya.
Several rivers have broken their banks resulting to significant volumes of water flowing in residential and commercial areas.
By 18th March 2026, the floods have resulted in:
- • Confirmed 71 deaths nationwide
- • Mass displacement of population, reported at 10,000
- • Destruction of shelters and household assets
- • Major transport corridors, including the Nairobi Expressway, Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway, and the Thika Superhighway, have experienced severe inundation, rendering them impassable at various points during the flash floods
- • Disruption of access to markets, health services, and humanitarian assistance
The crisis is occurring in a context of chronic vulnerability, recurrent climate shocks, and high dependence on subsistence agriculture, significantly increasing risks for women, children, elderly persons, people with disabilities, and female-headed households.