Flooding, heavy rains kill at least 70 people in Kenya since mid-March

At least 70 people were killed in Kenya since mid-March due to severe flooding and heavy rains, a government spokesperson said Friday.

The country witnessed weeks of heavy rains and severe flooding in its capital, Nairobi, as well as in the country’s western and central regions, according to the Associated Press.

However, the spokesperson refuted claims of deaths of hundreds of people in ongoing flooding, saying official tally now stands at 70.

The government of Kenya had set aside $29 million for emergency relief efforts.

More than 130,000 people are currently affected with thousands of houses washed away and others flooded. Some 64 public schools in the capital were flooded and had to shut down. Roads and bridges have been damaged or destroyed.

The Kenya Meteorological Department on Friday issued a heavy rainfall advisory for the weekend and urged residents to be vigilant.

Other East African countries have reported flooding with 155 people reported to have died in neighbouring Tanzania and more than 200,000 people affected in Burundi.