Two people remain unaccounted for after floods wreaked havoc in Isiolo County, sweeping the vehicle they were travelling in.
The two, who have since been identified as Rajuel Lemantile and the vehicle driver Paul Gitonga, are reported to have been travelling from Kipsing to Isiolo when their vehicle was swept away.
However, Boniface Muriungi, who was also in the Toyota Prado with registration number KCC 242N, managed to escape through the window as the floods swept the car some two kilometres away.
The vehicle, which police say belongs to area Member of County Assembly David Lemantile, was recovered with no occupants in it, prompting a search into the whereabouts of the two people.
Search efforts
“Boniface managed to escape unhurt through the window. The other two are still missing, and a search is on currently. The vehicle was swept away for about 2km and has been recovered badly damaged,” Police Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga confirmed on Saturday, April 19, 2025.
Heavy rains accompanied by flash floods in the area also marooned entire regions, leaving residents trapped in their houses for hours as their cattle were swept away by the raging waters.
Muchiri also noted that residents of Safi Estate who had earlier been trapped in the floods had been rescued and evacuated to safer areas.
“Members of the public, who were trapped inside their flooded houses, have been rescued and evacuated to safer areas. A tabulation of missing cows and goats is going on, including damaged property,” the police spokesperson noted.
Weather advisory
On Friday, April 18, 2025, police issued an advisory after heavy rains pounded Isiolo and its environs, leading to widespread floods that left scores of families in the cold.
Police indicated that the Eastern Regional Commander Charles Naibei was leading the evacuation of the affected families to safer areas, even as property of unknown value was swept downstream with the floods.
In 2024, over 700 families in Isiolo were affected by floods that rocked the area, sweeping along homesteads, cattle, and toilets in the area.
In its aftermath, seven schools were affected after their toilets were swept away, forcing students to resort to makeshift structures for nature calls.
The county government coordinated efforts in partnership with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to airlift humanitarian assistance to the affected families.