Help.NGO's Kenya's 2024 Flood Response
- Matthew Cua | Innovation and IT Director
- Sep 10
- 13 min read
Kenya experienced a catastrophic series of floods in late 2023 and 2024, triggered by unprecedented rainfall. An El Niño-enhanced rainy season began in October 2023, marking one of the heaviest "short rains" seasons on record. By early 2024, East Africa was receiving far above-average precipitation, with rainfall significantly heavier than normal and intensified by the El Niño climate pattern. The torrential long rains (March-May 2024) led to deadly floods across 33 of Kenya’s 47 counties. These extreme conditions followed a prolonged drought, which had left the ground hardened and less able to absorb the sudden deluge.
The human and economic toll was staggering. By mid-May 2024, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reported at least 291 people killed in the Kenyan floods, with around 300,000 people displaced from their homes. Overall, more than 412,000 Kenyans were directly affected by flooding. The destruction cut across all sectors: at least 11,311 livestock were lost, and floodwaters damaged or destroyed 61 key roads, nearly 2,000 schools, and 62 health centers nationwide. Vast swathes of cropland were ruined – Kenyan authorities tallied over 168,000 acres of farmland washed out, wiping out harvests and food stocks. Then, as if the rains were not enough, Cyclone Hidaya struck in early May. The tropical cyclone made landfall along the Kenya–Tanzania coast on May 4, lashing coastal counties with heavy rain and gale-force winds and worsening the flood damage in those areas. Coastal communities from Mombasa to Lamu halted beach activities and braced for storm surges. The confluence of El Niño rains and Cyclone Hidaya’s impact made the 2024 floods among the worst natural disasters Kenya has faced in recent memory.
Challenges Faced
The floods brought Kenya's infrastructure to a standstill, creating immense operational challenges throughout the country. Raging waters washed away roads and bridges, severing critical transport links between towns and villages. More than 60 roadways were either flooded or completely destroyed, while bridge collapses isolated entire communities. Major arteries such as the Nairobi–Garissa highway remained submerged for days, forcing travelers to navigate floodwaters by boat. The disruption extended to vital infrastructure, with both the main railway line and Nairobi's international airport experiencing significant flood-related interruptions. These widespread infrastructure failures created a cascade of problems: relief deliveries were severely delayed, market supply chains collapsed, and urban transportation systems buckled under the strain. In Nairobi, public transport fares doubled as commuting became a nightmare.
Widespread power outages further compounded the crisis, as floodwaters downed power lines and poles across multiple counties. The national utility reported submerged transformers and transmission lines, leaving entire areas without electricity. While many outages were fortunately brief, some communities remained in darkness for extended periods. Consequently, the floods simultaneously crippled transportation, electricity, and communications infrastructure precisely when these services were most critically needed for emergency response and recovery efforts.
PThe floods created a severe public health emergency. Hundreds of thousands of displaced residents were forced into overcrowded makeshift camps after losing their homes. The healthcare system came under enormous strain as at least 45 health facilities across 12 counties were damaged by the floods, leaving entire communities without access to medical care. The Ministry of Health issued high-alert warnings as disease transmission risks escalated dramatically. Stagnant floodwater and inadequate sanitation facilities in displacement camps created ideal conditions for disease outbreaks. The situation was particularly dire in temporary settlements, where flood survivors often lacked access to clean drinking water and proper toilet facilities, significantly increasing their vulnerability to waterborne diseases.
The economic devastation was equally severe, with agricultural areas and commercial centers suffering catastrophic losses. Entire maize and rice harvests were destroyed in Kenya's key breadbasket regions, including Baringo and Mwea, intensifying food insecurity concerns across the country. The commercial sector faced widespread destruction, with nearly 900 shops and stalls completely destroyed, and livelihoods for fishermen, farmers, and traders were disrupted.
The most formidable challenge proved to be the overwhelming strain placed on Kenya's disaster response infrastructure. The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), typically the backbone of emergency response efforts, found itself stretched beyond capacity and issued public appeals for urgent additional support as the crisis intensified. County-level emergency funds were rapidly depleted, leaving local authorities unable to mount adequate responses. Human Rights Watch criticized Kenyan authorities for an initially slow and inadequate response to the unfolding flood disaster. In numerous affected areas, communities were left to depend on their own resources and whatever external humanitarian aid they could access, as local government response capacity buckled under the unprecedented demands of the emergency.
Rapid Mobilization and Collaboration with Kenya Red Cross Society
Recognizing the overwhelming scale of the disaster, Help.NGO mobilized to support Kenyan response efforts through a partnership with the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) International Center for Humanitarian Affairs (ICHA). This collaboration extended over six months of direct field support, with remote assistance continuing throughout 2024.
Help.NGO deployed advanced drone technology to complement satellite imagery and enhance KRCS-ICHA operations. The organization provided rapid damage assessment capabilities and critical data for recovery and reconstruction planning through targeted aerial surveillance missions.
The drones used included:
DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise (M3E): A versatile drone for mapping, search and rescue, and documentation.
DJI Mavic Air 2S: Cost-effective drone suitable for mapping, search and rescue, and documentation. Primarily used for partner training.
This partnership leveraged the complementary strengths of both organizations. Help.NGO contributed advanced technological capabilities and surge capacity, while KRCS provided extensive field networks and invaluable local expertise. Together, they established priority areas encompassing unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for mapping, cloud computing infrastructure for data management, and artificial intelligence applications to enhance humanitarian operations. The collaboration translated into concrete outcomes: joint training programs equipped Red Cross staff with drone operation and data analysis skills, shared technological resources maximized operational efficiency, and collaborative mapping initiatives directly informed disaster response strategies. This formalized partnership structure provided a framework for the intensive collaboration that had already begun during the emergency response phase, enabling Help.NGO technical specialists to work seamlessly alongside Kenyan Red Cross responders.
Field operations demonstrated the effectiveness of this technological approach to disaster response. Help.NGO deployed multiple specialized drone units to Kenya, including DJI Mavic 3T Enterprise drones equipped with thermal imaging capabilities and DJI Air 2S drones optimized for high-resolution mapping. Joint operational teams, comprising Help.NGO experts Matthew Cua, Matthew Fumarola, and Judah Rivera working alongside KRCS personnel, conducted systematic aerial surveys across flood-affected regions. A notable example occurred in late May 2024, when the team responded to KRCS requests to map Nairobi River tributaries following severe flooding. The two-day mission generated approximately 105 GB of high-resolution imagery covering 15 square kilometers of the river corridor. These comprehensive aerial surveys revealed critical information including submerged residential areas, compromised flood control infrastructure, and new drainage patterns created by the flooding, providing emergency responders with essential intelligence for both immediate rescue operations and long-term infrastructure repairs.
Cloud Computing, Open-Mapping Workflow, and Capacity Building
All collected data was transferred directly to the Kenyan Red Cross to ensure organizational autonomy in data management and processing. To establish KRCS’s independent data processing capabilities, Help.NGO technical staff spent a full day at KRCS headquarters installing and configuring WebODM (OpenDroneMap’s web platform) on the organization's dedicated Amazon EC2 cloud server. This secure infrastructure enabled KRCS to process sensitive drone data with restricted access limited to authorized personnel only. The system successfully handled over 100 GB of raw imagery, processing these files into comprehensive orthomosaic maps for operational use.
Simultaneously, Help.NGO employed the commercial platform DroneDeploy for complementary cloud processing capabilities. This platform's advanced accuracy algorithms and customizable workflow options provided enhanced precision for specific mapping requirements where commercial-grade processing was most beneficial.
This dual-platform strategy offered KRCS optimal flexibility by combining DroneDeploy’s sophisticated software-as-a-service capabilities with the long-term control and cost-effectiveness of open-source WebODM. The approach ensured both rapid processing speeds and complete data sovereignty for the Red Cross organization.
To address privacy and security concerns surrounding satellite and aerial imagery, mplemented a specialized mapping solution utilizing Maptiler's MapServer technology deployed on Amazon EC2 infrastructure and AWS Snowball. This system incorporated automated integrations with the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team tasking manager, enabling KRCS to maintain strict access controls over sensitive satellite and aerial imagery basemaps while still utilizing the collaborative capabilities of the HOTOSM platform. This configuration allowed the Red Cross to coordinate remote "mapathons" where volunteers could digitally trace flood-damaged buildings and roads directly into the OpenStreetMap database without accessing the underlying sensitive imagery.
Aerial imagery approved for public distribution will be made available through OpenAerialMap under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, ensuring broader accessibility for research and humanitarian purposes while maintaining appropriate data governance protocols.
Help.NGO deployed subject matter experts to establish comprehensive training programs for a new generation of local drone pilots, focusing on advanced mapping techniques and disaster response applications. These specialists also provided critical cloud computing expertise to enhance KRCS's technological capabilities. Help.NGO's technical experts conducted both classroom instruction and hands-on field training for several junior personnel from KRCS and ICHA, ensuring theoretical knowledge was reinforced through practical application.
To ensure the sustainability of these capacity-building efforts, Help.NGO has maintained ongoing support for KRCS and ICHA through the publication date of this report in August 2025. This continued partnership includes comprehensive technical assistance and managed service support, with particular emphasis on cloud-based tools operating within the AWS Cloud infrastructure. This long-term commitment ensures that the skills and systems developed during the emergency response phase continue to benefit Kenya's disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
Restoring Lifeline Connectivity with Go Online Africa
Through a partnership with Gonline Africa, Help.NGO addressed the critical communications infrastructure failures by deploying SpaceX Starlink terminals in flood-isolated communities. The initial installations targeted two strategically important locations: Kibera, Africa's largest informal settlement housing over 300,000 residents, and Namelok, a remote Maasai village in Kajiado County. Within days of deployment, these connectivity hubs restored free, high-speed internet access to tens of thousands of people, including emergency responders, students, and displaced families. This restored connectivity proved essential for accessing emergency maps, registering for humanitarian assistance, and enabling displaced residents to contact family members and loved ones.
This communications restoration initiative extends beyond emergency response, with Help.NGO providing continued support to Gonline Africa throughout 2024 and 2025. The ongoing partnership encompasses Starlink connectivity maintenance, technical expertise in digital literacy training, cloud computing education, networking infrastructure support, and specialized Starlink technical assistance. This sustained commitment ensures that communities maintain reliable internet access while building local capacity to manage and expand these critical communication networks independently.
Empowering Rural Mesh Connectivity with ISOC Kenya
To connect flood-isolated settlements across Maasai territory, Help.NGO collaborated with the Internet Society (ISOC) Kenya Chapter to extend Starlink connectivity far beyond traditional single-dish limitations. Together, they engineered innovative "satellite-linked enclaves" where a central Starlink hub at a mission compound distributes internet access through solar-powered Wi-Fi relays and TV-white-space radio systems, effectively leap-frogging challenging terrain across kilometers of rangeland.
In Namelok, this hub-and-spoke mesh network now interconnects five manyattas, providing hundreds of pastoralists with reliable real-time communications even during periods when roads become completely impassable. Each relay station incorporates high-gain antennas, off-grid solar power systems, and locally fabricated mounting brackets, demonstrating that resilient, community-owned infrastructure can thrive in even the most remote pastoral areas.
To ensure this connectivity translates into meaningful community engagement, ISOC and Help.NGO transformed a shipping container in Kajiado into a fully equipped solar-powered computer laboratory. The facility features Raspberry Pi workstations, offline educational content libraries, and regular workshops covering fundamental IT skills, internet safety protocols, and market-price applications designed to bridge the digital divide. According to ISOC Kenya President Eng. Alphonce Odhiambo, these community networks are already demonstrating measurable improvements in both flood preparedness capabilities and residents' daily economic opportunities.
Help.NGO plans to publish a comprehensive impact assessment in Q4 2025 evaluating the effectiveness and outcomes of these connectivity initiatives conducted in partnership with Gonline Africa and Internet Society (ISOC) Kenya Chapter.
Mapping and Data Sharing: A Collaborative Effort
The aerial imagery and geospatial data collected during the response operations were distributed across multiple platforms to maximize their humanitarian impact. The Kenya Red Cross Society's International Center for Humanitarian Affairs integrated these aerial maps with the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOTOSM) Tasking Manager platform, enabling international mapping volunteers to contribute remotely to ongoing response efforts. This global collaboration resulted in comprehensive digital mapping of several villages throughout the Tana River region and critical sections of the Nairobi River corridor. The volunteer mapping initiative proved remarkably productive, with remote contributors adding more than 1,100 previously unmapped buildings to the OpenStreetMap database through coordinated efforts on the HOTOSM Tasking Manager platform. These detailed building footprints and infrastructure mappings provide essential baseline data for both immediate disaster response activities and long-term community development planning in flood-affected areas.
This integrated architecture demonstrates how unmanned aerial systems (UAS) data flows seamlessly through both cloud and edge computing environments, with field connectivity maintained through Starlink satellite internet. Drone imagery is uploaded directly to WebODM installations running on Amazon EC2, which can operate either in the AWS cloud or locally on AWS Snowball devices during offline or low-connectivity situations. When cloud connectivity is available, additional Amazon EC2 instances equipped with NodeODM can be deployed on-demand to scale computing resources according to operational requirements.
For computationally intensive geographic information system (GIS) operations, the architecture incorporates Amazon Workspaces to support field-based analysts. GIS operators can remotely access QGIS software installed on Amazon Workspaces to perform resource-heavy tasks including orthomosaic manipulation, digital surface model processing, and 3D model generation as mission requirements dictate. Amazon Workspaces provides critical operational advantages by enabling on-demand scaling while eliminating substantial capital equipment costs for specialized hardware that would otherwise sit idle between deployments. More importantly, this cloud-based approach allows multiple users from anywhere in the world to collaborate simultaneously, ensuring continuous operational capacity.
Starlink connectivity serves as the critical bridge between field operations and cloud infrastructure, enabling real-time access to cloud services and automated data synchronization between AWS Snowball Edge devices, local Amazon S3 storage, and cloud-hosted Amazon S3 buckets. This synchronization architecture ensures operational resilience by allowing processing to continue locally at the edge when connectivity is poor or unavailable, such as during mobile operations, with automatic cloud updates resuming once stable Starlink connectivity is reestablished.
Processed drone outputs are made accessible through WebODM interfaces that can be accessed via internet connections or directly through AWS Snowball devices, providing users with timely access to orthomosaics, 3D models, and GIS-ready data layers essential for operational decision-making. This hybrid cloud-edge architecture effectively combines the scalability advantages of AWS cloud services with the operational survivability of edge computing devices, ensuring that mission-critical UAS data remains both accessible and secure in remote or humanitarian operating environments.
In alignment with Help.NGO's commitment to democratizing technology and data access, the organization contributed 15 aerial maps to OpenAerialMap, covering approximately 14.58 square kilometers of flood-affected areas. This open-access platform ensures that the high-resolution imagery remains freely available to humanitarian organizations, researchers, and development practitioners working in Kenya and similar contexts. By making these datasets publicly accessible, Help.NGO extends the impact of the emergency response efforts beyond immediate disaster relief, creating valuable resources for long-term research, development planning, and future disaster preparedness initiatives.
Example of Imagery : Nairobi-River West of Ruai District
Help.NGO's drone data workflow to opensource datasets during responses
For critical areas where drone operations were prohibited due to safety restrictions around Nairobi's multiple airports, the team leveraged Planet's SkySat constellation to capture high-resolution satellite imagery of these otherwise inaccessible sites. The operation utilized Planet's Satellite's tasking capabilities through their constellation of approximately 13 SkySat satellites in orbit to gather essential intelligence from restricted zones. This satellite-based approach ensured comprehensive coverage of all critical regions, guaranteeing that no strategically important areas remained unmapped despite regulatory constraints or aviation safety concerns. The combination of drone and satellite imagery created a complete picture of flood impacts across the entire operational area, regardless of airspace limitations.
Reflections on Cost and Efficiency
A central principle throughout the mission focused on cost reduction and operational efficiency while enhancing decision-making capabilities for partner organizations. Help.NGO provided partners with affordable yet powerful technological solutions, combining commercial platforms like AWS Cloud, DroneDeploy, and Maptiler with open-source alternatives such as OpenDroneMap. This hybrid approach streamlined entire response operations and ensured critical data reached decision-makers with minimal delay.
Help.NGO functions as both a cloud service provider and strategic consulting partner for organizations including KRCS, Gonline Africa, and ISOC Kenya Chapter. We deliver specialized expertise and operational support to address capability gaps and provide continuity when partner personnel are reassigned to other urgent projects and operations.
Understanding that time and resources represent the most valuable assets during disaster scenarios, Help.NGO's subject matter experts and technical teams provide partners with comprehensive support services. This includes continuous system monitoring, multi-faceted incident response covering technical, security, and operational challenges, regular system upgrades, and dedicated service desk support for diverse stakeholder groups. This sustained technical partnership ensures that critical humanitarian technology infrastructure remains operational and effective throughout extended emergency response periods.
Building a Legacy of Resilience
As our immediate response efforts conclude, our focus is shifting toward long-term recovery and resilience building. We are continuing to collaborate with the Kenya Red Cross Society, the Internet Society (ISOC) Kenya Chapter and Gonline Africa in our shared mission of community resiliency by providing continuous technical support.
Our detailed report on the 2024 Kenyan floods response can be accessed here.
In mid-2024, Help.NGO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), cementing a collaboration on technology and disaster management. This MOU, endorsed by KRCS Secretary-General Dr. Ahmed Idris and Help.NGO’s Executive Director Brendan Harvey, laid out shared responsibilities in deploying innovative solutions for relief especially on UAS and on AWS Cloud. Under the agreement , both organizations committed to coordinate closely including technical expertise on running AWS Cloud, UAS Innovations, and Artificial Intelligence.
This managed workflows are repeatable and scalable and are being deployed in other places around the world, stay tuned on this blog post about stories of our other engagements.
Acknowledgments
This mission was made possible through the support of many partners. We extend our gratitude to the AWS Disaster Response Team (DRT) and the AWS Global Social Impact Team for their invaluable contributions, especially in providing the cloud infrastructure that enabled real-time data processing and storage.
Additionally, the deployment of Starlink satellite units was crucial in maintaining communication across remote areas, ensuring that our efforts were coordinated and effective.
Written by :
Matthew Aligaen Cua, Innovation Director at HELP.NGO and an Adjunct Faculty at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). With a background in integrating technology into humanitarian efforts, Matthew has led numerous missions worldwide, focusing on enhancing disaster response through innovative solutions.
Matthew Silver, U.S.-based Research Consultant at Help.NGO. He supports the organization’s global operations by leading critical research initiatives, overseeing communications quality, and advancing strategic development efforts across multiple domains. Matthew holds a B.S. in Sociocultural Anthropology and Political Science from Colgate University and is passionate about applying rigorous analysis to humanitarian efforts, bridging academic insight with real-world impact.
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