This archive report was first published on 6 May 2020.
Kenya is bracing for a potential disaster as two major dams, Masinga and Turkwel, have reached capacity, with the Energy Cabinet Secretary warning of imminent flooding in areas downstream.
According to Charles Keter, the Masinga Dam has exceeded its normal reservoir capacity of 1056.5 meters above sea level, reaching 1057.86 meters, which could lead to devastating consequences in Garissa and Tana River counties.
At a joint press conference with Cabinet colleagues at the Meteorological Department, Keter urged residents in flood-prone areas to relocate immediately, stating, “So we are telling people that it is a serious issue. Those downstream Garissa all the way to Garissa must move because things are worsening.”
Heavy rains are expected to continue until the end of May, with the Kenya Meteorological Department Director-General Stella Aura warning of severe weather conditions in various parts of the country, including the Coast, Central, Nairobi, and Western regions.
Aura urged Kenyans to heed to their advisories, stating, “The next few days the rains are expected to be quite heavy and we are issuing an advisory for the Coast, Central, Nairobi, and Western. We are urging everybody to heed to our advisories so that we do not experience loss of lives and properties.”
As of Wednesday, 194 people have lost their lives since the rains started, with 30 fatalities reported since Tuesday alone.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi has ordered security forces to relocate people in flood-prone areas to safer grounds by force, stating, “This is a disaster and we cannot keep pleading with our people to move out, we must move them out.”
Information and Communications Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has announced that the Meteorological Department will issue regular weather alerts, effective Wednesday, and has urged the media to disseminate the information.
The government has already disbursed cash transfers to vulnerable families across the country and will include those displaced as a result of floods in the assistance.
