Flash floods in Nairobi kill 23, disrupt flights at major airport

Flash floods across Nairobi overnight has left at least 23 people dead, authorities said, adding that dozens of cars were swept away and flights at East Africa's biggest airport disrupted.

Kenyan President William Ruto said he had deployed a team of emergency responders, including soldiers, to coordinate rescue efforts, while offering condolences to the affected communities.

"I have also ordered that relief food from our national strategic reserves be immediately released and distributed to families affected by the floods," he said in a statement on social media.

Kenya Airways said the rains had disrupted flights to Nairobi and forced some to divert to the coastal city of Mombasa.

Scientists say global warming is worsening floods and droughts across East Africa by concentrating rainfall into shorter, more intense bursts. A 2024 World Weather Attribution study found climate change had made devastating rains in the region twice as likely as before.

According to reports, some of the dead had been electrocuted by damaged power lines. National provider Kenya Power separately said the waters had damaged equipment at a substation, listing 14 neighbourhoods that had been affected.

"So many cars, so much stuff, I don't know. Everything was just (washed away). All of the water (came) ... from that river," shocked resident Cedric Mwanza said, referring to the Nairobi River.