The government has ordered that 200 families living in Ruiru, downstream of Kijabe, vacate their homes by 6 p.m. on Tuesday, amid concerns that more water will accumulate near the railway.

The directive comes in response to reports of structural vulnerabilities in other tunnels that are part of the railway infrastructure in the Kijabe area.

So far, 86 families have followed the directive and relocated to safe areas that the government has designated, according to the Interior Ministry.

The Kiambu County Security and Intelligence Committee (CSIC) has been instructed to evacuate all residents whose homes are likely to be in the path of downstream storm water in the event of a drainage system failure.

Those who do not move as directed, according to CS Kithure Kindiki, will be forced to evacuate for public safety.

According to CS Kindiki, members of the public affected by the directive will be assisted in finding temporary shelter until it is safe to return to their homes. 

At least 71 people were killed, and 51 are still missing following a heavy downpour in Mai Mahiu last week. 

Water washed away several homes in the early hours of last Monday, prompting emergency responses from the national and county governments, which have been camped at the site for the past 24 hours.

In a statement to newsrooms, Water Cabinet Secretary (CS) Zechariah Njeru said that the incident was a result of a blocked railway line tunnel preventing proper flow of water through River Tongi.

"The channel got blocked due to debris, stones, trees and soil brought about by the heavy downpour in the area thereby preventing water flowing through the River Tongi course and its small tributaries to move downstream," said Njeru.

He added that the river and its tributaries then burst its banks at a high pressure which swept the railway line and flowed downstream at a high speed causing the destruction witnessed.

Njeru also clarified that the area has no dam, as cited in several reports, saying that the only dam in the premise is Matches Dam and it is located upstream, far from the affected premise.