Kenya's dramatic flooding sweeps away a central part of the economy: Its farms

62-year old farmer Martha Waema, in her three-acre farm that was submerged by weeks of rainfall in Machakos, Kenya, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. According to Kenya's interior ministry, the heavy rains affected 400,000 people across the country and killed 289. Crops on approximately 168,092 acres of land have been destroyed, posing a threat to food security. This represents 0.24 percent of Kenya's based on World Bank Data that shows 48% of Kenya's land is agricultural. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)ASSOCIATED PRESS

MACHAKOS, Kenya (AP) — With dismay, Martha Waema and her husband surveyed their farm that was submerged by weeks of relentless rainfall across Kenya. Water levels would rise to shoulder height after only a night of heavy downpour. 

The couple had expected a return of 200,000 shillings ($1,500) from their three acres after investing 80,000 shillings ($613) in maize, peas, cabbages, tomatoes and kale. But their hopes have been uprooted and destroyed. 

“I have been farming for 38 years, but I have never encountered losses of this magnitude,” said the 62-year-old mother of 10.

By DESMOND TIRO.

Full story at Yahoo News.