Death toll rises to 49 as massive floods batter Kenya

NAIROBI, March 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 49 people have died, thousands displaced, and property destroyed, since March 6 when heavy downpour triggered massive flooding in more than a dozen Kenyan counties, including the capital, Nairobi.

As of Tuesday, flooding had killed 49 people, displaced over 2,600 families, and claimed more than 600 livestock countrywide, while the search for the missing had intensified, according to a multi-agency response secretariat.

Kenya Meteorological Department clarified that though the rains will subside this week, the risk of flooding remained high during the onset of the March-to-May rain season amid saturated soils.

Deborah Mulongo Barasa, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, said in a televised interview on Monday that Kenya remains a global warming hotspot, as evidenced by prolonged and recurrent dry spells, flooding, and habitat loss.

To boost the country's resilience to climatic stresses, Barasa said the government and bilateral partners have prioritized expanding tree cover, regenerating wetlands, and promoting the adoption of clean energy. ■