Gachagua’s advise to governors on how to prevent drastic effects of El Nino

By Peter Ochieng

Deputy President (DP) Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua on Thursday assured Kenyans that government officials are working round-the-clock; to lessen negative impacts of El Nino in areas expected to be hit hard by the heavy rainfall.

The Meteorological department has predicted El Nino rainfall in various parts of the country, from next month. Areas most likely to be hit hard are Nairobi, Narok, Isiolo, Wajir, Mandera, Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu.

“I wish to start by assuring you that a lot has been going on in the background, in preparation of the expected abnormal rains,” said the DP.

He advised governors in the aforementioned areas, more so Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru to give priority to cleaning and unclogging of drainage networks.

“We also recognize that with the expansion of our towns, we have not matched drainage systems as required. As a matter of urgency, we request counties to prepare artificial waterways. This will reduce surface run-off and risk of flooding, more so, in residential areas,” said the second in command.

He spoke on Thursday, after meeting governors, respective Cabinet Secretaries, and local and international partners on strategic mitigation measures. He said county governments must work closely with the national government, to minimize effects expected to be caused by floods during El Nino.

“El Nino is beyond county governments, the national government and our partners. That is why we must work together by leveraging our diverse capacities in technical and financial resources.”

The DP said despite measures put in place by the government, every Kenyan has a role to play to ensure their safety during the heavy rains.

“It is very important for us, Kenyans, to take measures to reduce the negative impact of these rains.”

He urged farmers with grains in farms to harvest and store their produce early.

Kenya is likely to experience an El Nino season in the October to December short rain season, with the rainfall is expected to continue until January 2024.

The last time Kenya experienced such a condition was in 2006, and the worst El Nino season occurred in 1997.