By Hassan Wekesa - Editor
Loading article content...
Loading article content...
Kenya, 31 October 2026 - The heavy rainfall being experienced across the country is already piling pressure on emergency preparedness, in the same week that ministers in charge of disaster risk management from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) convened in Mombasa to chart the way forward.
In Nairobi, flooding was reported, especially around Githurai Roundabout, after Saturday morning showers. On Friday, floods affected major roads in Parklands.
The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) said on Saturday that search operations were ongoing at Baraka, Olkaria Village, in Kajiado South, after one person was reportedly swept away by floodwaters while crossing an overflowing river on Friday night. The society urged the public to take the necessary precautions.
“We urge the public to avoid crossing flooded rivers and roads,” KRCS warned in a post on X.
Also on Saturday, officials from the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) North Rift region held meetings with communities living in Tambach and Kolol in Elgeyo Marakwet, where landslides and mudslides continue to destroy property and claim lives and livelihoods.
The KeNHA officials were joined by officers from the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), KRCS and the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret.
The team held consultative meetings with the communities and explored mitigation measures, including tree planting, coffee farming and vetiver grass cultivation, to stabilise the soil, control erosion and reduce runoff. Between October and November 2025, mudslides killed at least 37 people in Elgeyo Marakwet, while 11 others were reported missing. This explains why the teams are acting proactively to address recurring landslides and mudslides in the region.
The ongoing rains have also caused heavy flooding in Tana River and Lamu counties, displacing hundreds of residents.
More from Kenya
Meanwhile, on Friday, IGAD Executive Secretary Dr Workneh Gebeyehu said that, after IGAD declared that El Niño rains were imminent and would affect the region, it was important for the regional organisation to come together to coordinate efforts, share experience, and not only warn member states but also discuss the action to be taken. That is why the Secretariat organised the 2nd Eastern Africa Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Action (EADP2) in Mombasa.
Dr Gebeyehu said the conference was aimed at helping to mobilise resources, share experience and provide a platform for responding to challenges, whether floods or drought.
“This kind of platform under the coordination of IGAD will help our member states to deal with this challenge which is coming not only for the country but regionally,” said Dr Gebeyehu.
IGAD member states include Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
Kenya was mainly represented by Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Kipchumba Murkomen, who on Thursday reiterated the government’s preparedness in the wake of the El Niño rains. The country was also represented by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Dr Deborah Mlongo Barasa.
The IGAD Secretariat said it had adopted the Mombasa Ministerial Declaration on Anticipatory Action, 2026.