Former Interior Cabinet Secretary and Jubilee deputy party leader Fred Matiang’i has called on the government to urgently step up preparations for a potentially severe El Niño season, warning that delayed action could lead to preventable loss of lives and livelihoods.
Matiang’i said the Kenya Meteorological Department had placed the likelihood of a very strong El Niño at 81 per cent, with its effects potentially extending into 2027.
He warned that Kenya had experienced the devastating effects of El Niño before, notably in 1997 and 2023, when heavy rains triggered flooding, destroyed livelihoods and disrupted transport and communities.
“This time, we must act before the rains come,” Matiang’i said.
He called on the national government to publish county-level contingency plans for all flood-prone areas and disclose the actual funds allocated for El Niño preparedness and response.
Matiang’i also urged authorities to pre-position relief supplies, rescue boats and other emergency equipment before flooding makes roads impassable and cuts off vulnerable communities.
He further called for independent verification of the government’s preparedness measures, saying Kenyans should be able to assess readiness based on what has been put in place rather than official statements.
“Lives are at stake. We cannot afford another cycle of warnings, delayed action and preventable loss,” he said.
Matiang’i said his team would in the coming weeks monitor government preparedness commitments against actual delivery and publish an independent assessment before the rains begin.
He said disaster preparedness should be judged by the resources and systems in place before an emergency occurs rather than by promises made after disaster strikes.
The warning comes as Kenya continues to grapple with the consequences of recurrent flooding, which has in recent years caused deaths, displacement, destruction of infrastructure and disruption of economic activity.
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