The Athi Water Works Development Agency has announced that Karimenu II Dam in Kiambu County has reached full capacity and has started spilling.
In a notice on Wednesday, March 11, the agency explained that the dam is designed to safely release excess water while continuing to operate normally.
"Karimenu II Dam is full and spilling. The dam uses a Labyrinth Weir, which allows controlled spillage even at full capacity, ensuring safety for downstream users," the notice read.
Athi Water Works also warned residents living near rivers and downstream areas to remain cautious as the excess water flows through the system.
"We urge everyone to exercise caution and avoid riverbanks to ensure safety," the notice added.
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The agency highlighted the importance of the dam in supplying water to several towns and parts of the Nairobi metropolitan area.
"The dam currently holds 22.6 Billion litres of water and supplies over 70 million litres of clean water per day to Ruiru, Juja, Gatundu, Kiambu, Githurai and Nairobi," the notice further read.
This comes a day after the Kenya Meteorological Department forecast a general reduction in rainfall across many parts of the country in its weather outlook covering the period between Tuesday, March 10, and Monday, March 16.
In an update on Monday, March 9, the department said rainfall will become less intense in several regions, although some parts will continue receiving occasional rains.
According to the agency, rainfall activity will decline in both spatial coverage and intensity across many areas of the country during the week under review.
"Rainfall is expected to reduce in spatial coverage and intensity across several parts of the country. However, occasional rainfall is likely to continue over several areas in the southern parts of the country," the statement read.
Despite the expected reduction, the department warned that some regions could still experience isolated heavy rainfall during the forecast period.
The agency said residents in parts of western and central Kenya, as well as areas around the Rift Valley and coastal belt, should remain alert for heavy downpours.
"Despite the general reduction, isolated heavy rainfall events may still occur in parts of Western Kenya, Central Highlands (including Nairobi), Lake Victoria Basin, Rift Valley, South-eastern Lowlands and the South Coast," the statement added.
The forecast also highlighted varying temperature conditions across the country, with higher daytime temperatures expected in several regions.
"Daytime temperatures above 30°C are expected in several areas, including the Coast, South-eastern Lowlands, North-eastern and North-western Kenya," the statement further read.
Meanwhile, cooler conditions are expected at night in highland regions and areas near major mountains.
The department noted that night-time temperatures could fall to notably low levels in some areas, particularly in the central highlands and parts of the Rift Valley.
"Night-time temperatures below 10°C are likely in parts of the Central Highlands, Central Rift Valley, and areas around Mt. Kilimanjaro," the statement concluded.
