After a lengthy dry spell that led to drought in several counties, Kenyans are now a relieved lot to see the rains finally start falling.
But has it come at a cost yet again?
According to the met department, rainfall would be experienced from this week, citing Western Kenya, Central and South Rift Valley as areas to experience showers and thunderstorms.
Nairobi and parts of Central Kenya were also included in their forecast.
The capital had rains in several parts including the Central Business District to relief its dwellers of the dust that they had lived with in the months of March and April, contrary to previous years. The two months are normally characterized by heavy downpours in the city but this year has been starkly different.
However, Tuesday’s 30-minute downpour rendered several roads impassable despite assurance by Governor Mike Sonko’s assurance that his administration was ready to deal with the aftermath.
Many hoped that the recent efforts by Sonko’s government to unclog the city drainage and sewer lines will save them of the past experiences.
A woman and her two children were reportedly swept by raging floods that rocked Kibera’s Kisumu Ndogo area after the heavy Tuesday’s rains.
Mercy an area resident say the bodies of the three were later recovered.
‘‘The three were in their house in Kisumu Ndogo unit just opposite Kibera South Clinic but it seems the heavy floods swept their residents before they succumbed to their deaths.’’ Mercy told Ghetto Radio News.
Meanwhile different parts of Nairobi county experienced floods following the heavy downpour with areas like South C, South B ,Eatsleigh,Embakasi Village,Umoja and Zimmerman highly affected.
Elsewhere, motorists using the Mai Mahiu – Suswa Road in Naivasha have been advised to be to use alternative routes after the busy highway was cut-off following heavy rains on Tuesday.
Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) assistant director – corporate communication Charles Njogu has said traffic flow on a section of the road has been temporarily interrupted.
“KeNHA would like to alert all motorists driving along the Mai Mahiu – Suswa that following heavy rainfall experienced this afternoon, a section of the road near the SGR Crossing at KM23 from Mai Mahiu, just before Suswa, has been overtopped by floods, causing heavy siltation at the section,” read part of the statement.
In March this year, KeNHA advised motorists using the Mai Mahiu – Naivasha Road in Naivasha to be cautious after an earth tremor caused cracks on the busy road.
Across our borders, floods and mudslides in the South African city of Durban and the wider KwaZulu-Natal province have killed at least 60 people, officials say.
A six-month-old baby and a young child are among the dead.
More than 1,000 people have been displaced according to President Cyril Ramaphosa who has flown into the region to visit the affected areas.
Southern and eastern parts of the country have been badly hit by torrential rain in the last few days.
In our neighbouring country, at least 17 people have been killed following heavy rains in Buyende District, eastern Uganda.
The downpour on Tuesday morning ravaged villages in Kidera Sub-County.
This brings the number of people who have due to the heavy rains in the continent to at least 80.