Sifuna to State: Publish El Niño preparedness plan, we have clear time lead

Senator Edwin Sifuna/FILE

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has urged the national government to immediately publish a comprehensive El Niño preparedness and response plan, warning that Kenya has sufficient time to prepare for the anticipated weather phenomenon and should not wait until disaster strikes.

Speaking in the Senate on Thursday, Sifuna said forecasts by meteorological experts provided a clear lead time for authorities to put in place mitigation measures and protect lives, property and livelihoods.

The senator said the country had previously suffered devastating consequences from flooding and should not ignore early warnings from experts.

Sifuna said Kenya must take scientific forecasts seriously and use the available time to prepare communities and emergency response agencies for possible heavy rains and flooding.

"We have to be a country that listens to experts. Previous experiences with serious flooding in 2023–24, for instance, we lost over 300 lives and almost 50,000 people were displaced," Sifuna said.

He warned against complacency, saying the government should not assume that forecasts issued by weather experts would not materialise.

"The national government must now publish a comprehensive El Niño preparedness and response plan. We want to know what to do in the event of certain happenings," he said.

Sifuna said Kenyans should be informed in advance about measures being taken by government agencies, including emergency response mechanisms and support systems for communities living in flood-prone areas.

The senator also called for the establishment of emergency evacuation centres in vulnerable regions, saying the facilities should be identified and publicised before any disaster occurs.

"We want to see emergency evacuation centres being set up and all of us should know where those things are," he said.

He noted that having clearly designated evacuation centres would help authorities respond more effectively in the event of flooding and minimise loss of life.

Sifuna's remarks came a day after Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina urged county governments to prioritise disaster preparedness following warnings by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that El Niño conditions are developing in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

Ledama warned that counties risk severe human and economic losses if they fail to prepare for the anticipated extreme weather conditions, calling on governors to focus on emergency planning instead of politics.

"Listen, this is very serious, and you must act now or you will suffer the consequences of inaction. The coming El Niño is not a warning; it is a direct threat to lives, infrastructure, and entire local economies," Ledama said on Wednesday.

He pointed to recent flooding incidents in Nairobi and warned that parts of Narok County, including Narok West, Emurua Dikirr and Narok South, could become inaccessible if rivers overflow during heavy rains.

According to the WMO, there is an 80 per cent probability that El Niño conditions will emerge between June and August 2026, while the likelihood of the phenomenon persisting through November exceeds 90 per cent.

The agency said unusually warm ocean waters in the tropical Pacific are fuelling the development of El Niño, which is typically associated with higher global temperatures and more extreme weather patterns.

In Kenya, El Niño events have historically been linked to above-normal rainfall and flooding, particularly during the latter part of the year, prompting calls for early preparedness measures from both national and county governments.