CLIMATE CRISIS: Floods kill 72 in Tanzania, Kenya & Uganda as Heavy Rains Persist

Floods have killed 58 people in Tanzania and 13 in Kenya over the last two weeks, as heavy rains persist in the East African countries and some neighboring countries. One boda boda rider also drowned this morning in Kampala capital city, Uganda.

In Tanzania, the government now says April marks the peak of Tanzania’s rainy season, and it has been exacerbated this year by the El Nino phenomenon which has caused droughts and floods across the globe.

“From April 1 to April 14, 2024, there were 58 deaths caused by the heavy rains, which led to flooding,” government spokesman Mobhare Matinyi told a press briefing, stressing that the country’s coastal region was one of the worst affected.

“Serious flood effects are experienced in the coast region where 11 people have so far died,” he added.

Tanzania has plans to construct 14 dams to prevent flooding in future, the spokesman said. Just four months ago, at least 63 people were killed during floods in northern Tanzania that also triggered devastating landslides.

Last Friday, eight schoolchildren drowned after their bus plunged into a flooded gorge in the north of the country. A volunteer in the rescue operations also died. Overall, at least 126,831 people were affected by the flooding.

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More than 75,000 farms have been damaged in the coastal and Morogoro areas – about 200km (124 miles) west of the economic capital, Dar-es-Salaam. Essential supplies, including food, have been distributed to those affected. More than 100,000 people have been affected by the flooding, which has hit Tanzania’s coastal areas.

Other parts of East Africa have also been experiencing heavy rains. Flooding in Kenya has also killed at least 13 people. Infrastructure has also been damaged and those living in flood-prone areas are being urged to move.

Boda Boda rider drowns in Uganda. In Uganda, floods have also ravaged shops downtown Kampala this morning, April 18, 2024, amid protests by city traders who have closed their shops citing several gaps in the implementation of the Electronic Receipting and Invoicing System (EFRIS).

Heavy rain started around 4am leaving roads like Kinawataka-Kireka road cut off.  Motorists were held for long hours in traffic jam as they struggled to access Kampala City due to flooded roads. At Katogo junction where the water submerged the bridge, locals said a boda boda rider drowned in the morning hours as he tried to cross the road.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group have said the rainfall in East Africa “was one of the most intense ever recorded” in the region between October and December 2023.

“Climate change also contributed to the event, making the heavy rainfall up to two times more intense,” the AFP news agency reported, citing the group, adding that the exact contribution of global warming was unknown.

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