At least 15 people were killed and scores injured in heavy rains and flooding, Kenya‘s Daily Nation said on Friday.
The rains had pounded parts of the east African nation over three days, the newspaper said on its website. Most of the flood victims died by drowning, the Daily Nation added.
Kenya‘s ambulance service tweeted reports of collapsed buildings and road collisions caused by floodwaters. The Kenya police service warned road users against driving in the severe weather conditions on their Twitter feed.
The ongoing heavy rains in Kenya have disrupted activities for citizens, with the small traders being among the worst-hit.
The traders, particularly small business owners who include vegetable, clothes, cooked food, fruits and shoe sellers are counting losses due to the heavy rains.
The rains started on March 1 and would continue until May, according to the Meteorological Department, though the intensity would differ during the period.
In the capital of Nairobi, those worst-affected include hawkers who walk around selling their wares.
Their biggest market is usually the city's notorious traffic jams, some that last over four hours during morning and evening peak times.
Also affected are traders at the East African nation's biggest second-hand items market.
Some traders, especially those who spread their merchandise in the open, have been forced to close their businesses altogether.
"When it rains business is bad. People don't reach the market because of the heavy mud since the floor has no tarmac or cabro. You open in the morning and close in the evening without making any sales," lamented Joyce Mongima, who sells dresses.
Motorbike taxi operators (boda boda) are an unhappy lot as the rains drive away business.
In the suburb, as many others on the outskirts of Nairobi, some roads have become impassable when it rains further cutting business for the riders.
Public transport operators (matatus) are equally counting losses as the rains have cut the number of trips one can make from the estates to the central business district due to heavy traffic jams.
The World Bank notes that rains have negative impact on the economy since they lead to lost business, damage of property, destruction of crops, roads and loss of human life, according to a global media report.
However, the positive impact of the rains is that they boost food and power production, two components that contribute to higher inflation.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, food alone accounts for 36 per cent of items used to calculate monthly inflation figures, while transport, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels account for a further 27 per cent of the consumer basket.
