Apr 25, Kathmandu- The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) has reported that at least 38 people have died due to floods in Kenya and the flood level is moving from an emergency to a disaster level.

The recent heavy rainfall in the African nation have also disrupted normal business. One person died and six people went missing in the rain that fell on Wednesday in the Mathare settlement of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Xinhua reported that the residents of this settlement, mostly low-income communities and living in poor housing, were trapped in their homes due to severe flooding.

Some areas were cut off from the city due to the stormwater, which flooded the roads. Thousands of traders and workers were stranded after the main bridge of Kitengela south of the capital was washed away by the Athi River.

According to Xinhua, more than 60 families were left homeless after the Thiba River burst its banks in central Kenya's Kirinyaga County on Tuesday, flooding their homes and businesses.

Since the onset of rains in March-April-May, many counties have felt its effects. Affected households, displacement, setting up of camps, flooded land, affected businesses and livestock have died, the humanitarian agency said.

According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, there has been an unprecedented heavy rain in Kenya and some areas have received up to 200 millimeters of rain in a single day.

Kenyan officials at both the county and national government levels have advised residents of low-lying and flood-affected areas to move to higher ground, warning that the rains will cause flooding across the country.

Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kindiki Kithure has asked residents living near the dam, including Masinga in the Eastern Region and Thiba in the Central Region, to relocate.

He said that the impact of floods will be greater in the settlements as more rain is likely to cause disaster. He said that the government is on high alert and a multi-agency team is working to reduce the situation.