At least 257 people have died from flood-related incidents.
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said Wednesday that 14 adults and five children were separately reported dead Tuesday.
He said the number of people affected by rains now stands at 293,661 while 54,837 households have been displaced.
Mwaura said another 188 people have been injured.
The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are being collected.
“We are equally saddened by the rising death toll and we send our sincere condolences to the affected families,” Mwaura said.
Mwaura said infrastructure has been hit hard with significant damage to railway lines and many roads are now impassable.
He revealed the government is meanwhile mobilizing nearly Sh4 billion to support recovery and relief efforts.
Health services have also been severely impacted, with 61 health facilities compromised across 11 counties.
As a result, he said 44 cholera cases have been reported so far in Tana River and Marsabit counties where Ministry of Health and Red Cross officials are conducting outreach programmes to stop the spread of the outbreak.
“In response to the crisis, the government is actively implementing waterborne disease control initiatives, including efforts to manage cholera outbreaks,” Mwaura said at a press conference at Nyayo House.
He said ongoing repairs to damaged infrastructure are expected to continue through the end of May.
He said the government is working on critical road sections to restore safe travel where roads have been damaged by water overflows and cutoffs.
Press Statement of the Floods Situation in the Country, and the National Emergency Response, issued on Wednesday 8th May 2024. pic.twitter.com/uz2pGdPPGb
— Spokesperson GoK (@SpokespersonGoK) May 8, 2024
He said most road infrastructure damages occurred in Nyanza, Western, Coast, Rift Valley, and Eastern regions.
He said 198 dams have been identified as high risk after a national assessment.
He said varied evacuations are ongoing in the affected regions following a presidential directive issued on May 2, 2024.
Schools are set to be reopened on May 13 despite the situation, the government said.
A total of 1,967 schools have been affected by the floods.
On Wednesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki gazetted Friday, May 10, as a public holiday for purposes of countrywide tree-growing activities.
He said the day will also be observed in solidarity with all those who have been affected by the “cyclic floods and subsequent droughts in recent times”.
“Recognising that the effects of climate change pose an existential threat to national security, public safety and the ecological sustainability of Kenya [and] acknowledging that tree growing is the singular long-term solution to the climate crisis and its devastating effects on life and livelihoods.”
Schools were to reopen on April 29, but the Ministry of Education postponed due to the flooding crisis.
“All parents are now advised, based on the assessment of weather experts and the government, that it is safe for our children to go back to school,” President William Ruto said.
