Like many other inhabitants of informal urban settlements, Gaudensia Isalamba and her family were heavily affected by the unprecedented heavy rainfall and flooding that shook most of Kenya in April and May 2024. 

With her family of nine, 41-year old Gaudensia has lived in a two-room house in the sprawling Mukuru kwa Ruben settlement since 2007. “I have never experienced such flooding in the last 16 years, Gaudensia tells us, as she points to the furniture and other belongings crammed into a tiny room.

“Little things affect little minds.”

This saying carved into one of the wooden wall supports seems to summarize the experience of Gaudencia’s two youngest daughters, who are enjoying a meal of ugali (maize porridge) and sukuma wiki (vegetables).  
On the night it started flooding, each of the twins, who were sleeping next to each other,  thought that the other had wet the bed.

But in just a couple of hours, the entire house had become submerged in water, “ and our whole family had to join us on our bed”, one of the girls narrates.

By morning, even the bed was submerged in water. Like many others whose lives were now at high risk,  Gaudensia and her family had to move as instructed by the authorities. . Until the rains subsided, they would spend cold nights on the rooftop of a nearby apartment building. 

Despite moving to their new home,  Gaudensia and her family are still at risk of new flooding. With her family’s source of livelihood also destroyed after her roadside stall  was demolished by authorities the family is dependent on what her husband earns from doing menial jobs.
Even though some of their children are sponsored to go to school, Gaudensia says that life without her business has been stressful as they both struggle to put food on the table.

“We have not received any help from the government. I heard some people were given 10,000kshs but my family and I have never received any cash from the government or any NGO. The only help I got was food from Redcross, and that was just once.”

Gaudensia expresses   hope that someone will come to their rescue  and renovate their house. Unlike many others in the community, she is ready to accept relocation to a less risky area. However, her deepest wish is that the relevant authorities will finally act to address the perpetual drainage issues in  Mukuru.

The floods in April caused more than 200 deaths, displaced more than 40,000 people and directly affected the lives of an estimated 103,485 people across  the country.

Author: Chebet Birir