Heavy rains in Kenya cause flooding, mudslides that kill 17

Heavy rains unleashed overnight floods that have killed 17 people in western Kenya, including 12 people feared buried in a mudslide, authorities said Saturday.

In West Pokot county, local administrator Joel Bulal said 12 people died in a mudslide in the village of Nyarkulian and four other people are missing in the village of Parua.

West Pokot County Commissioner Apollo Okello said five other people died when their car was swept away on the road between Kitale and Lodwar after two rivers overflowed their banks.

More than 1 million people in East Africa have been affected by flooding after higher-than-normal rainfall.

The International Rescue Committee said this month that many people had been reeling from an earlier severe drought. Now rains in parts of Somalia, South Sudan and Kenya are expected for four to six more weeks.

The latest deaths in Kenya bring to 55 the number of people who have died in a month and a half due to flooding-related causes.

The torrential rain is uncommon for this time of year. Experts have said the changing weather patterns have a huge impact because close to 100% of Kenya’s agriculture is rain-fed.