The government has warned of possible floods in the country even as the Seven-Forks hydroelectric power dams fill up.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced that Masinga Dam, which is the largest, was already spilling.
"The government hereby notifies members of the public that the weather forecast for the ongoing long rains presents the potential for flooding and may require the issuance of evacuation orders in various parts of the Country to secure public safety. The Seven-Forks Hydro-electric Power Dams are filled up as of this morning. Masinga Dam, which is the first, largest and most consequential of these dams, is already spilling through the managed structural spillways," Kindiki announced.
"However, the Masinga Dam spillover does not present obvious spillover effects into the cascade dams of Kamburu, Gitaru, Kindaruma and Kiambere. This notwithstanding, any further precipitation is likely to cause the spillover to cascade to the other dams with greater flooding effects being likely in the settlements contiguous to the last dam-Kiambere."
Kindiki also expressed fears that any more rains within the Tana River and River Thiba catchment areas in the coming days could cause River Tana to burst its banks downstream leading to significant flooding in Garissa, the Tana Delta and Lamu Counties.
The CS has also warned that in Western Kenya, communities along lakes and rivers in Homa Bay, Siaya, Busia, Nyando, Nyakach and Muhoroni as well as low-lying areas in Migori, Kakamega, and Vihiga risk flooding if the quantity of daily precipitation increases beyond the prevailing levels.
Other areas facing the risk of floods include Narok, Kajiado, and Mombasa as well as hilly areas traditionally prone to mudslides, particularly in Makueni, Nyeri, Murang'a and West Pokot Counties.
"Urban areas with clogged or poor drainage, and public or private water reservoirs across the Country may also flood if the precipitation continues uninterrupted in the coming days. The risk of significant flooding in various parts of the Country has put the Government on high alert. Accordingly, the public is hereby notified to exercise caution, plan their movements and avoid risky behaviour on moving waters," he added.
The CS further announced that the government had reconvened the Multi-Agency Disaster Management Team, which was established during the 2023 El Nino rains, “to ensure a coordinated, whole of Government approach to monitoring the current situation and organizing Government response programmes.”
“The Kenya Red Cross Society and relevant National and International humanitarian agencies have been co-opted to work with (the) government to provide a coordinated response,” he said.
“County Security and Intelligence Teams across the Country are directed to work with County Governments to monitor and report situations and to support the interventions of stakeholders to ensure that the Country mitigates against loss of human or livestock life and destruction of public or private property. Should the situation demand, the Government will issue mandatory evacuation orders in specific areas in the interest of public safety.”