State issues immediate evacuation directive to communities in Lower Tana River Basin over floods 

The government Friday issued an immediate voluntary evacuation directive to all communities living downstream of the multipurpose Kiambere Dam.

This is due to the prolonged and intense rainfall over the Mt. Kenya and Aberdare catchment areas.

Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the inflows into the Seven Forks hydropower cascade have increased sharply in the recent few weeks.

“As a result, Kiambere Dam, the last reservoir in the cascade system, has exceeded its full supply level, and the potential of widespread flooding is both real and imminent.”

“Under the prevailing circumstances, we hereby issue an immediate voluntary evacuation directive to all communities living downstream of the multipurpose reservoir,” he said.

Residents living downstream and those within the proximity of the spillway zones, particularly those in Garissa and Tana River counties, are at greater risk, he added.

The most vulnerable areas include Garissa, Hola, Garsen, and the broader Lower Tana River basin.

“We urge these communities to move to higher ground without delay.”

Omollo said in coordination with KenGen, the National Disaster Operations Centre, and local Disaster Response Committees, they have activated full emergency communication and response protocols to manage the evacuation exercise with the urgency and seriousness it demands.

“According to forecasts from the Kenya Meteorological Department, rainfall and showers are expected in the affected areas from Friday, May 16, 2025, through Tuesday, May 20, 2025.”

Officials are monitoring the inflow patterns and reservoir levels at Masinga, Kamburu, Gitaru, and Kindaruma Dams. KenGen is also undertaking other precautionary measures, key among them controlled spillages, to safeguard the structural integrity of the reservoirs.

“To avert potential loss of life, we are deploying all available resources in coordination with local government administrators (NGAOs), who are actively securing temporary shelters in public schools, churches, and other designated government facilities,” said Omollo.

Public health officials are also mobilizing humanitarian support mechanisms to provide immediate relief and safe refuge for affected families.

First responders, led by the Kenya Red Cross Society and the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS), remain on standby to carry out emergency rescue operations until the current threat has passed, he said.

“To this end, we urge all residents in the affected areas to heed this advisory and prioritize safety above all.”