Flooding and heavy downpours in Kenya have killed at least 70 people since mid-March, a government spokesperson revealed, more than double the number reported earlier this week.
Kenya has experienced weeks of heavy rainfall and catastrophic floods in its city, Nairobi, as well as in its western and central regions.
Kenya's government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura on Friday debunked claims that hundreds of people have died in the ongoing flooding and said the official count now stands at 70.
Five bodies were recovered from a river in Makueni county, east of the country on Friday after a vehicle carrying them was pushed over a submerged bridge, according to local station Citizen TV. Another eleven were rescued.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said at a press briefing on Friday that the government has set aside 4 billion Kenya shillings ($29 million) for emergency relief operations, but provided no further details.
More than 130,000 people are currently affected, with thousands of homes washed away or flooded. Some 64 public schools in the capital were flooded and forced to close. Roadways and bridges have been damaged or destroyed.
On Friday, the Kenya Meteorological Department issued a heavy rainfall alert for the weekend, urging citizens to exercise caution.
Other East African countries have experienced floods, with 155 people killed in neighbouring Tanzania and over 200,000 affected in Burundi.
