Residents were reportedly compelled to spend the night sleeping on rooftops, as per local media accounts.

Roads transformed into rushing streams and residences were inundated by muddy waters as torrential rainstorms and flash floods wreaked havoc across Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, on Wednesday.

Numerous regions in Kenya and the broader East Africa area have been battered by incessant rainfall in recent weeks, with the El Nino weather phenomenon exacerbating the usual seasonal downpours.

In neighboring Tanzania, at least 58 individuals have lost their lives, with several thousand left homeless, while nearly 100,000 people have been displaced in Burundi.

Kenyan authorities reported that their officers rescued a five-year-old boy stranded by floods in Machakos County, south of the capital, on Tuesday.

The young child was rescued via helicopter and brought to safety, as reported by the National Police Service on X, previously known as Twitter.

Throughout Nairobi, photographs shared by Kenyan media depicted trucks, cars, and motorcycles trapped in torrents of water.

"The city is paralyzed due to extensive flooding on most roads," remarked Uber driver Kelvin Mwangi.

"We're experiencing prolonged travel times due to detours, and in some instances, we're unable to reach our destinations."

In the sprawling Nairobi slum of Mathare, homes were swallowed by floodwaters, compelling residents to seek refuge on rooftops overnight, according to local media reports.

A photograph shared on X by the Kenya Red Cross depicted its workers, wading through water sometimes waist-high, engaged in rescue operations, while a man carried a young child on his shoulders.

The Red Cross reported that the Athi River, Kenya's second-longest river, had overflowed, inundating roads and leaving residents stranded.

Overnight heavy rainfall in many parts of Nairobi caused flash floods in numerous areas, the organization added.

"Roads and bridges have been affected, resulting in significant traffic congestion on major routes," the Red Cross stated on X.

"Our response teams are actively present in these areas, conducting evacuations to ensure families' safety and delivering crucial life-saving aid," it added.

Kenya Railways declared the temporary suspension of commuter train services as a precautionary step, citing the impact of heavy rains on rail lines.

The El Nino phenomenon frequently leads to severe repercussions in East Africa. Just last year, over 300 individuals lost their lives in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia due to torrential rains and floods.

Between October 1997 and January 1998, extensive flooding resulted in over 6,000 fatalities across five countries in the region.