The government has activated a national response plan ahead of the expected onset of El Niño rains, with search-and-rescue teams, evacuation centres and emergency supplies placed on standby across the country.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 5, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration said the response would be coordinated through the National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC), with interventions scaled up depending on the severity and geographical spread of the impacts.
The Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS), Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) and National Youth Service (NYS) will conduct round-the-clock search-and-rescue operations where required.
The government said designated evacuation and displacement centres had been established, with a standardised registration system to identify, track and assist people displaced by floods and other rain-related hazards.
Alternative access routes will also be activated where roads and other transport infrastructure are disrupted, while air support will be mobilised through NDOC when necessary.
The government has also stepped up preparations to prevent disease outbreaks that could follow flooding.
The Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and Incident Management System have been deployed to coordinate emergency health services, strengthen disease surveillance and support the prevention and control of waterborne and vector-borne diseases.
The government said supplies of therapeutic and supplementary nutrition commodities had been secured, while water-quality surveillance would be intensified in affected areas alongside the distribution of water-treatment products.
Sanitation facilities in affected settlements will also be assessed to minimise contamination and public health risks.
To safeguard food security, pre-positioned food stocks are ready for release in 10 priority counties — Tana River, Garissa, Kisumu, Busia, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kilifi, Wajir, Mandera and Turkana.
Relief stocks and emergency shelter materials have also been positioned for deployment to evacuation and displacement centres.
The government said protection monitoring mechanisms were ready to identify and respond to the needs of vulnerable groups, while farmers would receive location-specific agricultural advisories as weather conditions evolve.
Animal disease surveillance will also be intensified to protect livestock and mitigate the risk of outbreaks.
In the education sector, authorities will assess the condition and functionality of learning institutions affected by the rains.
Schools that may be used as displacement centres will also have their learning materials safeguarded, the government said.
At the county level, governors, working with county commissioners, will coordinate preparedness, response and recovery through County Disaster Risk Management Committees and County Emergency Operations Centres.
Counties will serve as the lead implementers within their jurisdictions, supported by technical guidance from national institutions.
At the sub-county level, disaster management teams and steering groups will coordinate local preparedness, alerts and first response in collaboration with National Government Administration Officers, community disaster management committees, community health promoters and other partners.
The government said humanitarian organisations had aligned their interventions with national priorities to minimise duplication and service gaps.
Operations in the Dadaab refugee complex, Kakuma and Kalobeyei will continue to be coordinated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in partnership with the Department of Refugee Services.
The government said it would continue monitoring the situation through NDOC and county coordination structures and update its emergency plans as risks and conditions evolve.
