Villagers wailed desperate warnings as they shouted for help, frantically trying to outrace the flood and wake up as many people as possible.
"See you later, if the dam doesn't break". That was a popular joke among residents of Energy and Nyakinyua villages in Solai, Subukia sub-county, Nakuru County.
The dam they referred to was Patel Dam, one of seven located on the farm of a prominent farmer, Mansukul Patel.
On Wednesday night, those words turned into a reality of nightmarish proportions for hundreds of residents when the dam actually burst, killing 48 people according to area Chief Peter Mwangi.
So great was the force of the water - an estimated 20 million litres, enough to satisfy the optimal demand for Nairobi and its environs for a whole day - that everything in its path was literally swept away.
The floods and tumbling debris hit Nyakinyua village at high speed, then followed the massive destruction of homes in the neighbouring Energy village, washing away homes - some of them permanent structures, as it sped through the dark.
First to go were the offices and greenhouses of Solai Roses. Then came the coffee and maize plantations on the farm.
Several homes on the edge of a forest separating the farm and Nyakinyua village were also flattened by the raging waters.
According to Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Mwongo Chemwanga, the death toll had reached 44 by yesterday evening, with 40 others still missing.
The Kenya Red Cross Society put the figure at 32.
Mr Mwongo said water from one of the dams on the farm, which appeared weak, would be discharged, adding that the structural integrity of the remaining dams needed to be inspected.
Villagers wailed desperate warnings as they shouted for help, frantically trying to outrace the flood and wake up as many people as possible.
But the wall of water continued its onslaught, slamming into stone buildings - comprising residential houses and commercial outlets - and devouring dozens of mud-walled houses.
And when the sun allowed a glimpse of the devastation yesterday morning, it revealed unthinkable carnage.
It was a race against time as rescuers combed the more than 1.2km-radius for survivors and bodies.
What began as a quiet evening for most families had turned into a horrendous night as loved ones were separated by the water, with each person fighting for survival.
After the night of horror, lucky survivors went back to witness what must have looked like a scene from an apocalyptic movie - where solid homes once stood, now there was nothing but sludge.
George Wanjala said he was walking home when he saw a mountain of water approaching. He quickly climbed a tree for safety.
“I have never experienced such a thing. The water was raging and I had to scamper for safety,” said Mr Wanjala.
Bodies remained entombed in the mud and debris of what was residential houses, which were swept kilometres away and required a caterpillar and bulldozers to dig in search of the bodies.
Some of the bodies were found on tree trunks, where they were picked by volunteers.
“My cousin was swept away. Her body was recovered but I have not been allowed to see her until it is cleaned at the mortuary,” said Susan Mutua.
Desperate locals combed the scene hoping to recover their loved ones, either dead or alive
Houses and shops at Solai trading centre, approximately 25km from Nakuru, were swept away and the once-active hub no longer exists.
Yesterday, the Kenya Red Cross Society said Energy and Nyakinyua villages were severely affected by the disaster. It approximated that about 500 households were displaced.
According to Red Cross accounts, 41 survivors were taken to hospital; 35 of them were discharged and six are still admitted.
"Five people have so far been reported missing at the Kenya Red Cross desk and the tracing teams are searching for them in the hopes of reuniting them with their families," the statement said.
“The effects of the floods countrywide have now reached a proportion of a national disaster and the severity will be seen when the rains are over. It is our duty to help the families recover from this disaster. Majority of the counties affected are the same ones that were affected by the drought, prior to these rains. It is a double tragedy and these communities have been rendered more vulnerable because of the cyclical disasters and their coping mechanisms have been totally depleted,” said Kenya Red Cross Secretary General Abbas Gullet.
At the scene, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel dug through heaps of mud to recover bodies suspected to be buried in the sludge.
They worked together with a team of volunteers from Kenya Red Cross, World Vision and civilians.
Desperate children were also spotted trying to look for their loved ones.
The area chief said it was difficult for teams to conduct search-and-rescue missions due to the large volumes of fast-flowing water.
Volunteers from Kenya Red Cross and officers from the National Youth Service could not access the two villages, which were submerged in water.
The heavy flow raged for one and half hours, making it more difficult to access the area.
Police vehicles that had responded to the tragedy got stuck in the mud.
“The response was very fast but the rescue mission was delayed as responders feared being swept away by flood waters," said Mr Chege.
Locals who responded to wails by people stuck in the sludge and debris lacked proper equipment to assist.
The Standard visited the site of the dam - more than 5km from the centre - and found extensive damage caused by the waters.
Nearby coffee, tea and maize farms had nothing - all that remained were huge stones.
It emerged that the one-acre dam, which was allegedly 500m deep, had no proper outlets. Few pipes leading to nearby farms used as outlets were overwhelmed by the huge volume of water in the dam.
Joseph Ndegwa, a resident, said the dam had previously leaked.
Visiting scene
While inspecting the scene yesterday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i defended the national and county governments against claims of poor response to disasters.
Addressing victims of the tragedy, the CS, who was accompanied by Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui, said first responders from NYS, Kenya Red Cross and the county government were at the scene within one hour of the tragedy.
