Floods, Landslides Kill at Least 132 in Kenya

(Bloomberg) -- At least 132 people have been killed in floods and landslides caused by unusually heavy rainfall in Kenya.

Around 17,000 were displaced and 11,000 livestock swept away by strong waters, government’s spokesman Cyrus Oguna said. More than half of the country has been affected, according to Oguna.

The rains have helped alleviate the drought conditions across the country that caused a food shortage and added to inflationary pressures, but have damaged infrastructure and farmland. Authorities are assessing the extent of destruction as they plan repairs, Oguna said.

The rainfall is above the average amount recorded in past years, with some areas receiving as much as three times their historical average, Kenya Meteorological Department Deputy Director Bernard Chanzu said. The rains are expected to continue through December.

To contact the reporter on this story: David Herbling in Nairobi at dherbling@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Malingha at dmalingha@bloomberg.net, Rene Vollgraaff

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