Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has warned that 16 counties are likely to experience flooding amid the ongoing heavy rains in the country.
In a statement sent to the newsrooms on Wednesday, April 17, Kindiki said the Seven-Forks Hydro-electric Power Dams are filled up and Masinga Dam, which is the largest of the dams has started spilling through the managed structural spillways.
He noted that the spillover is likely to result in the Tana River bursting its banks and leading to floods in Garissa, Lamu, and Tana River counties.
“In the likely event of further precipitation within the Tana River and River Thiba catchment areas in the coming days, River Tana is likely to burst its banks downstream leading to significant flooding in Garissa, the Tana Delta and Lamu Counties,” Kindiki warned.
The Interior CS mentioned that communities along lakes and rivers in Homa Bay, Siaya, Busia, Nyando, Nyakach, Muhoroni as well as low-lying areas in Migori, Kakamega, and Vihiga risk flooding if the quantity of daily precipitation increases beyond the prevailing levels.
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Other counties at risk of significant flooding include Narok, Kajiado, Mombasa, Makueni, Nyeri, Murang’a and West Pokot Counties.
“The risk of significant flooding in various parts of the Country has put the Government on high alert. Accordingly, the public is hereby notified to exercise caution, plan their movements and avoid risky behaviour on moving waters,” CS Kindiki stated.
He also announced that the government has reconvened the Multi-Agency Disaster Management Team which was established during the 2023 El-Nino rains to ensure a coordinated, whole of Government approach to monitoring the situation and organizing Government response programmes.
Kindiki further directed county security and intelligence teams across the country to work with County Governments to monitor and report situations, and to support stakeholder interventions.
“Should the situation demand, the Government will issue mandatory evacuation orders in specific areas in the interest of public safety,” the Interior CS added.
