Cheers as man, woman rescued from car carried by floods in Ruai

A man and a woman were rescued on Tuesday evening after their vehicle was swept away by raging flood waters in an area said to be Ruai, Nairobi, following heavy rains that pounded the city and its environs.

The incident, captured in a widely circulated video on social media, shows a group of men wading through fast-moving water to reach a saloon car that had been caught in the current.

The vehicle is seen drifting as flood waters push it downstream, with onlookers screaming in shock and urging the rescuers on.

The rescuers struggle to pull the two occupants through the car window as the vehicle continues to move with the force of the water. Moments later, the car is almost completely submerged.

All this time, anxious residents stand by, some filming the ordeal while others shout instructions and prayers. The rescuers eventually manage to pull the man and woman out through the window and guide them to safer ground.

As the pair are brought to safety, cheers erupt from the crowd.

“They are out, thank God,” one onlooker is heard saying in relief.

The condition of the two was not immediately clear, but they appeared shaken as they were helped away from the scene.

The Ruai incident came as rainfall continued to pound several parts of the country, with forecasters warning that more downpours are expected in the coming days.

In its latest forecast covering February 17 to 23, 2026, the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) cautioned that residents should anticipate afternoon showers and occasional thunderstorms throughout the week, particularly in the Highlands and the Lake Victoria Basin.

According to the weatherman, rain is likely to persist in the Highlands east and west of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley itself, and parts of the south-eastern lowlands and the coast. Western, central and coastal counties are expected to receive the heaviest precipitation, with Nairobi also experiencing sustained rainfall.

The dramatic rescue occurred just hours after William Ruto announced a fresh multi-billion shilling plan to tackle Nairobi’s chronic flooding, directing key ministries to urgently implement drainage improvements ahead of the next rainy season.

Speaking at the State House on Tuesday, the President said the government would provide an additional Sh1 billion specifically dedicated to drainage upgrades in the capital.

“We will provide Sh1 billion dedicated to drainage improvement. We all know what happens to Nairobi City when it rains, and my instructions to both the Ministry of Infrastructure and Roads and Housing are that we do not want a flooded city this year,” the President said.

“You have to move with the speed that we do what we have to do. If there will be any flooding, it should be minimal; by next year, we should have corrected the problem that we have,” he added.

As part of the broader intervention, Ruto said the government is committing Sh9 billion to construct two parallel 27-kilometre trunk sewer networks along the Nairobi River corridor.