Intense rainfall expected in Western, South Rift

By Peter Ochieng

The government has warned of intense rainfall in some parts of the country on Sunday, as El Nino rains continue to wreck havoc in various areas.

Government Spokesman Issac Mwaura in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday morning said residents of Western Kenya and South Rift, should expect intense rainfall beginning tommorrow.

"Beginning Sunday 10th December, isolated storms and intense rainfall are forecast for the Lake Victoria Basin, Western Kenya and South Rift Valley. Residents are forewarned to adhere to weather and flood alerts to avert more injuries and fatalities," he stated.

Mwaura said in a bid to stop spread of cholera reported in Wajir days ago, over 3,000 wells have been chlorinated.

"3,200 water wells have been chlorinated in Wajir County, with household hygiene and sanitation messaging and demonstrations in tow. Overally, 14,756 shallow wells have been chlorinated across the country through joint efforts of the Ministry of Health and the Kenya Red Cross Society."

In the neighbouring Tana River County, the government spokesman said president William Ruto's administration is airlifting relief food so as to reach people adversely affected by floods.

"Airlifts and airdropping of relief items continues in areas inaccessible by road. Yesterday, Kilengwani and Mwina Villages of Tana River County received 5 tonnes of relief food through Kenya Police airlift."

Ongoing rescue operations have saved lives, including the recent rescue of 5 police officers from Sailon Village and the relocation of 80 individuals from Hewani and Kulesa village,” he said.

Over 165 people have died across the country as a result of the rains. Under the same breadth, several people have been saved from the jaws of death.

"Ongoing rescue operations have saved lives, including the recent rescue of 5 police officers from Sailon Village and the relocation of 80 individuals from Hewani and Kulesa village,” Mwaura said this week.

He however stated that roads remain impassable, affecting accessibility to the affected areas and hindering relief efforts.