State to Foot Burial, Medical Bills as National Flood Death Toll Hits 49
By Chemtai Kirui, Nairobi | March 11, 2026
The government will cover hospital bills and burial expenses for victims of flash floods that have killed at least 49 people since Friday, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku told a Senate committee on Tuesday as emergency teams struggled to reach submerged neighbourhoods.
Ruku announced the emergency intervention during a briefing to the Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations, saying the state would absorb medical and funeral costs for those affected by the floods triggered by the ongoing long rains.
“The government will meet medical and burial expenses for citizens injured or killed in the recent floods,” Ruku told lawmakers, adding that the State Department for Special Programmes had begun distributing relief food and essential supplies to displaced households in affected regions.
According to figures presented to senators, the floods have killed 45 people, including 27 in the capital, 11 in the eastern region and five in the Rift Valley, while one death each was reported in the Nyanza and coastal regions. Four people remain missing, two in the capital and two in the Rift Valley.
The storms have affected about 9,033 households, representing an estimated 42,819 people, according to data submitted to the committee.
The National Police Service said the floods had also affected 16 police stations, complicating coordination of search and rescue operations in several areas as rising water levels cut off access to some neighbourhoods.
The briefing followed a statement issued on Saturday by President William Ruto directing authorities to ensure victims receiving treatment in public health facilities do not pay hospital bills. He also ordered the release of relief food from national strategic reserves and the deployment of a multi-agency emergency response team that includes the Kenya Defence Forces.
Lawmakers, however, questioned the pace of response by county administrations during the Senate session. Committee chair Fatuma Dullo said reports submitted by the Council of Governors on disaster preparedness had not translated into sufficient action in many affected areas.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Meteorological Department maintained a red alert warning for continued heavy rainfall this week, cautioning that precipitation exceeding 20 millimetres within 24 hours could persist through the weekend.
Residents in low-lying areas, particularly along the Nairobi River, have been urged to move to higher ground as saturated soils increase the risk of further flash floods and landslides.
