At least 80,000 households across Kenya have been affected by heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides over the last week, the deputy president has said.

The emergency services are using helicopters to deliver aid and rescue marooned families, Rigathi Gachagua’s statement says.

On Saturday, Kenya Railways said flooding and landslides along the train track between the capital, Nairobi, and the port of Mombasa had forced the operator to close its cargo services.

East Africa has experienced intense rains linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon, which have killed dozens of people, including at least 46 in Kenya.

Floods have also caused deaths and displacement in Somalia and Ethiopia.

The rainfall has been described by the UN as a once-in-a-century event.