President William Ruto attributed the floods to climate change and urged Kenyans to mark the holiday by participating in tree planting activities.

Kenya's President William Ruto has announced Friday as a public holiday to mourn the victims of recent flooding, following weeks of heavy rainfall and strong winds.

According to government statistics, the floods in Kenya have claimed the lives of 238 individuals and rendered over 200,000 people homeless.

Ruto attributed the floods to climate change during a speech on Wednesday and urged Kenyans to mark the holiday by engaging in national tree planting activities.

Speaking at a gathering with grassroots leaders, Ruto stated, "I urge every Kenyan, regardless of their location, to participate in tree planting initiatives, aiming for each person to plant 50 trees on Friday. Our goal is to plant 200 million trees on Friday."

Ruto additionally declared that schools would resume classes on Monday, as the recent rains had inundated some schools and made others inaccessible.

He explained that this decision came after receiving guidance from the meteorological department indicating a reduction in rainfall. Schools were initially slated to reopen the previous week.

"We have allocated funds for the restoration of classrooms and other educational facilities throughout Kenya, and consequently, all schools will resume operations on Monday next week," he stated.

The torrential rains have caused extensive damage to residences, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure throughout East Africa's largest economy.