Kenya: Hundreds of tourists stranded in nature reserve due to flooding

About a hundred tourists were stranded in a flooded river due to heavy rains in southwestern Kenya’s famed Masai Mara National Reserve, a local administrator said on Wednesday.

Heavy rains, amplified by the El Niño weather pattern, have already caused devastating floods in the East African country, destroying roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

“About a hundred tourists” were stuck in more than a dozen lodges and camps, Stephen Nakola, administrator of the Narok West subdistrict, told AFP. “This is a preliminary figure because many camps are not available,” he said.

The Kenya Red Cross said it had rescued more than 90 people stuck in the camps, some by air. “In some camps, the tents were taken away” and the bridge was destroyed, she said on X.

The Maasai Mara Game Reserve is home to a variety of wildlife including lions, elephants, rhinoceroses, leopards, giraffes, hippopotamuses and cheetahs, attracting tourists from all over the world.

Hotels must prepare for evacuation

Tourism represents one of the main sources of foreign exchange in Kenya, along with agriculture and funds sent by the diaspora. Tourism revenues jumped 31.5% in 2023 from 2022 and exceeded pre-Covid-19 levels, the ministry said in March.

Tourism Minister Alfred Mutua said “several camps have been affected” and asked all hotels and campsites located near rivers in game reserves and national parks to prepare “for a potential evacuation”. “Develop clear protocols for evacuation, transportation and reception,” he said in a statement.

This directive comes in an already tense context. President William Ruto announced on Tuesday that he had mobilized the army and ordered the evacuation of people living in areas of the country at risk of flooding. These evacuations, voluntary or forced if necessary, must be carried out within 48 hours, the government said in a press release.

179 deaths since early March

A natural dam in central Kenya burst due to accumulated rain overnight between Sunday and Monday, releasing a powerful torrent of muddy water that washed away several villages below. Nearly 50 people were killed, the deadliest episode since the start of the rainy season.

Since March, floods have killed 179 people, including 15 children. About 90 people were missing and more than 195,000 people were forced to flee their homes.

During a general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday, Pope Francis expressed his “spiritual affinity” with Kenyans. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), several other countries in East Africa are facing the devastating effects of seasonal rainfall increased tenfold by El Niño, the current episode of which began in mid-2023 and could last until May.

Floods and landslides have killed at least 155 people in Tanzania.