•The current rains are a result of the El Nino phenomenon.
•The number of Kenyans who have succumbed to the rains is rising after three more persons died on Thursday, bringing the death toll to 168.
Image: DPCS
Rains will this week return to many parts of Kenya after a two-week break, the Met department has predicted.
The downpours will largely hit the lower half of the country, but will particularly be heavier in Western and Coast.
Northern Kenya will be dry, which gives the communities there more time to recover from the destructive rains last month.
“Heavy rainfall is expected in some parts of Kakamega, Vihiga, Migori, Homa Bay, Kisii and Narok counties,” said Dr Benard Chanzu, the deputy director of meteorological services.
He said counties around Mt Kenya, including Nairobi, will this week receive occasional morning rains over a few places that may spread in the evening.
“Some parts of Murang’a, Nyeri, Kiambu, Tharaka Nithi, Embu and Meru counties may receive heavy rainfall,” he said.
Chanzu also predicted heavy rains in parts of Ukambani such as Makueni, Kitui and the coastal county of Taita Taveta.
The rest of the coast will have showers over a few places throughout the day.
The current rains are a result of the El Nino phenomenon.
The number of Kenyans who have succumbed to the rains is rising after three more persons died on Thursday, bringing the death toll to 168.
In Friday's emergency response update, Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura said the three fatalities were reported in Tharaka Nithi, Nandi and Migori counties.
He sent condolences to the bereaved families and appealed to Kenyans to strictly adhere to weather and flood alerts to avert more fatalities.
He said according to the Met Department, Tana River flooding will continue to affect the surrounding areas and is expected to disrupt movement along the Garsen-Lamu road.
“We urge residents to be on the lookout and act on alerts and warnings on the road status," Mwaura said.
"We urge Kenyans to remain vigilant and take precautions. The Meteorological department forecast shows that rains will increase in intensity from mid-December and we advise Kenyans in flood-prone areas to move to higher grounds."
As of Friday, Mwaura said, 545,515 people from 109,033 households had been displaced by floods although the emergency response team is capitalising on the dry conditions in Northeastern to distribute relief items to Wajir and Mandera counties.
Mwaura said efforts have also been made to repair previously damaged roads in Northern Kenya through collaboration between the Ministry of Roads and Transport and Kenya Highways Authority.
"Notably the Mogodashe-Habaswein road where a convoy of trucks had been stuck has now been fully restored," Mwaura said adding that the Isiolo-Garbatulla-Mogodashe-Wajir and Hola-Garsen roads are also now passable.
Mwaura added that the Kenya Coast Guards and the Kenya Navy are meanwhile facilitating the evacuation of people in areas that are still submerged in water along Lamu-Witu road around Gamba in the Lango la Simba area.
Mwaura revealed that the cholera outbreak reported in Lamu County where 115 cases and three fatalities had been reported has now been contained.
"Of the 115 cases, only two remain active with the rest either recovered or tested negative," he said.
He said water and sanitation supplies have been bolstered in the county where Kenya Defences Forces (KDF) have provided water bowsers to supply water to residents in Lamu.
"To alleviate the strain of medical supplies, the Kenya Medical Supplies Association has dispatched 164 tonnes of medical supplies to affected counties with another 11 tonnes earmarked for dispatch to Turkana County."