This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
Published on December 5, 2019, the Kenya Meteorological Department has warned Kenyans to brace themselves for more intense rains throughout the week.
The department has predicted that the rains will intensify through to Friday but are likely to decrease on Saturday, affecting areas such as Nairobi, Narok, Kajiado, Bomet, Kericho, Nakuru, Migori, Nyamira, Kisii, Homa Bay, Kisumu, and Siaya.
Busia, West Pokot, Uasin Gishu, Baringo, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Kakamega, and Elgeyo Marakwet are also expected to be affected.
Residents in these areas have been advised to be on the lookout for potential floods, avoid driving through or walking in moving water or open fields, and not to shelter under trees and near grilled windows to minimize exposure to lightning.
People in landslide-prone areas like the slopes of the Aberdare Range in Mount Kenya and other hilly areas in the Western region have also been put on high alert.
The heavy rainfall has led to high flows in most rivers, and the grounds are saturated, according to the met department.
The rainfall is expected to continue throughout the month of December, with occasional breaks, and flooding and landslides may be triggered by a substantial amount of rainfall in low-lying areas as well as over hilly grounds.
Residents living near rivers in Busia County, particularly Budalang'I Constituency, have been advised to relocate to higher grounds as the region is bound to experience flash floods.
The warning issued yesterday by the department indicated that heavy rains of between 20 millimeters and 50 millimeters are expected for the next three days, effective yesterday.
Residents have also been discouraged from crossing swollen rivers. By yesterday, the water level at Rwambwa bridge in Nzoia was reported to be 5.1 meters high from the river bed.
Following the warning, Bunyala sub-county deputy county commissioner Jacob Ruto appealed to the locals to take heed and relocate to higher grounds for their safety.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i yesterday led a government delegation to Kaiti Constituency in Makueni that has been affected by floods.
The Government says up to 130 people have been killed and more than 160,000 others displaced in different places since the rains started in October.
The rains are driven by the strong positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which can cause a rise in water temperatures in the Indian Ocean of up to two degrees centigrade, leading to higher evaporation rates off the East African coastline, causing the water to fall inland.
