El Nino Preparedness Mechanics in Top Gear in Kilifi County
Red Cross Team in a past rescue mission. (Photo/ Courtesy)
By Julius Mwabonje
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
More than 80,000 families in Kilifi County face possible displacement as the region prepares for anticipated heavy El Nino rains expected to begin in October and extend into January next year.
County and national government agencies, humanitarian organisations and weather experts have launched a coordinated preparedness plan targeting communities living in flood-prone areas that have historically borne the brunt of heavy rains.
This emerged during an ongoing five-day Early Warning Preparedness Plan Workshop bringing together officials from the county, national governments, Kenya Red Cross, and the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) among other stakeholders.
The agencies said there was an urgent need to intensify public awareness campaigns and prepare communities in vulnerable areas before the onset of the rains.
County special programmes and disaster management chief officer Irene Opicho said her department had already begun mapping flood-prone areas and sensitising communities likely to be affected.
She identified areas along River Sabaki, River Kombeni, and River Nzovuni as well as parts of Kakuyuni and Garashi wards in Malindi and Magarini sub-counties as locations requiring special attention.
“We have had similar situations in the past where we intervened to save lives. This time, we are carrying out sensitisation and mapping of the affected regions early enough to ensure proper response when the rains hit,” she said.
According to her the county government had also assembled food and non-food items in readiness for possible displacement and humanitarian emergencies.
“With more than 80,000 families expected to be affected, we have put measures in place and assembled essential supplies in readiness should the rains come as anticipated by the weatherman.”
County disaster and special programmes executive committee member Marjisanaa Yahya said the region had already activated several disaster preparedness measures including community sensitisation forums.
She said residents were being encouraged to make use of the county’s toll-free emergency number 1535 to report disasters and emergencies.
“We have past examples of disasters where lives were saved because of the use of our toll-free number. We have continued sensitising communities to use this free service to enable timely dissemination of information and response,” she said.
The CECM added that the county, working through a multi-sectoral coordination team, had established a command centre to coordinate disaster response efforts involving the national government, county government, and development partners.
KMD principal meteorologist Frankline Omolkori warned that the anticipated El Nino conditions should not be ignored saying forecasts indicated a probability of more than 85 per cent.
He said the expected rainfall could extend beyond January and warned that the projected weather patterns could bring devastating flooding if adequate preparedness measures were not taken.
“The figures we have recorded show that this may not be the normal El Nino situation witnessed in the past. We are talking about huge volumes of water, which is why we are in Kilifi to ensure there is a well-coordinated approach and that we are not caught unawares,” he said.
The principal said Kilifi and Homa Bay counties had been identified as areas facing significant threats from the anticipated heavy rains prompting authorities to conduct special preparedness planning.
Kilifi County Kenya Red Cross coordinator Kauthar Alwy said the large number of people projected to be displaced required urgent and coordinated evacuation planning.
“We have more than 80,000 people who are expected to be displaced by the rains. However, we have put evacuation plans in place to ensure that affected residents are moved to safer grounds and that their lives continue with minimal disruption,” she said.
The coordinator recalled that during previous heavy rains, more than 20 schools in the county were marooned or submerged, disrupting learning and examinations.
According to her KRC and government agencies had begun mapping schools and other facilities that could be affected, while working with the County commissioner’s office to identify alternative evacuation centres.
The five-day workshop is expected to develop a comprehensive coordination and preparedness framework aimed at strengthening early warning systems, evacuation plans and emergency response mechanisms.
Authorities have urged residents in flood-prone areas to remain alert, follow weather advisories and cooperate with disaster response agencies as Kilifi braces for the anticipated heavy rains.
