Floods kill dozens in central Kenya after dam bursts

At least 42 people have been killed in floods in central Kenya's Mai Mahiu area after a dam burst as police say the toll could rise.

Pictures posted on the X accounts of Kenyan media, Kenya Red Cross and the highway authorities showed the aftermath of the flooding, with broken trees and at least one car stuck among logs and mud.

"We have so far recovered 42 bodies, which include 17 minors, following the early morning incident where a dam burst its banks in Kijabe area and rescue and search operations are going on," Naivasha police commander Stephen Kirui told reporters from the rescue scene.

Earlier on Monday, the Kenya Red Cross said it had taken several people to a health facility in Mai Mahiu due to flash flooding.

The latest deaths bring the toll from heavy rains and flooding since April to more than 140.

Excluding the Mai Mahiu incident, government figures show 103 people had been killed and more than 185,000 displaced as of Monday.

The Kenya Red Cross said on X that its personnel had retrieved two bodies after a boat capsized late on Sunday in the Tana River, in eastern Kenya's Garissa County.

Twenty-three people were rescued from the same incident.

Dozens more have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced by intense downpours in other East African countries, including Tanzania and Burundi.

The floods have caused widespread damage to infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

A road underpass at the international airport in the capital Nairobi was flooded, but flights were running as usual, the Kenya Airports Authority said on Sunday.

A government spokesperson said that hydro-electric dams were at capacity, which could lead to a massive overflow downstream.

East Africa was also hit by record floods during the last rainy season in late 2023.

Scientists say climate change is causing more intense and frequent extreme weather events.

Kenya's education ministry on Monday postponed the start of a new school term by one week.

"The devastating effects of the rains in some of the schools is so severe that it will be imprudent to risk the lives of learners and staff," it said in a statement.