The multi-agency team in Kajiado North has stepped up preparations for heavy El Niño rains.
The rainfall is forecast to get to more than 400 millimeters in some areas from the second week of October through January next year.
The preparedness measures come amid concerns from residents of flood-prone areas that more urgent action is needed to protect homes and infrastructure before the rains intensify.
The national government has activated a Cabinet Committee on El Niño Preparedness, with counties expected to translate the early warning alert into local preparedness and response measures.
Kajiado County Director of Meteorological Services Benson Ogada said Kajiado North faces heightened flood risks because of its location at the foot of the Ngong Hills, with stormwater flowing downstream towards Nairobi.
“Its effects are normally felt in Nairobi as well,” Ogada said, noting that water draining from Ngong feeds into systems extending towards the capital.
He said the Met department was providing the weather information on which preparedness plans are based and that his office continues to disseminate weather advisories through a WhatsApp forum with more than 1,000 members, social media handles, email, and local radio.
Sub-County Administrator Samuel Muchiri said authorities had mapped several vulnerable areas, including Mathare, Gichagi, Scheme 305, Laini Saba, Milimani, Oloolua, and Gataka in Ongata Rongai.
He said a disaster management committee chaired by the Deputy County Commissioner brings together the fire department, Kenya Red Cross, public health officers, and other government agencies, with evacuation centers identified in churches and social halls.
“It is not about the government. It is about the people of Kenya and the people of Kajiado,” Muchiri said, urging residents to take precautions and cooperate with authorities.
Ngong-Kajiado North Municipality Manager David Kuntai said the municipality’s disaster response team, firefighters, a fire engine, and the Mazingira drainage unit had been placed on heightened alert.
“We understand El Nino is really becoming a big issue,” he said, adding that the municipality would hold preparedness meetings every two weeks as the rainy season approaches.
Kuntai identified Ngong Stream, Gataka River, and Mathare as some of the areas of greatest concern, warning residents against attempting to cross flooded rivers and streams.
He said households occupying riparian areas were particularly vulnerable to displacement during flooding.
Muchiri also noted that the authorities were also addressing drainage problems associated with stalled construction of the Riruta-Ngong Meter Gauge Railway, where diversions have previously resulted in stormwater flowing towards residential areas.
He said Kenya Railways Corporation engineers assessed affected homes last week and were exploring measures to block the diversions and restore stormwater to its natural course.
“The engineers came and are exploring blocking those diversions to direct stormwater flow to its natural course to protect the residents,” he said.
Muchiri said authorities had also made progress in clearing blocked drainage channels, particularly in Mathare, after residents who had settled on drainage systems voluntarily moved to allow the channels to be opened.
“We asked the residents who had settled on top of the drainage systems in the Mathare slum area, and they cooperated and moved willingly. There was no fight,” he said.
Muchiri said authorities would continue meeting and reviewing preparedness measures as the onset of the rains approaches. “We really need to run fast, because even right now, some places we’ll see that rain has already started,” he said.
However, residents said more is needed to be done, and Benard Macharia, a Mathare resident, told KNA that although government teams had cleared some drainage channels and dumpsites, additional measures were needed, including construction of terraces to control stormwater.
“We have seen them clear drainage and garbage, but we believe they can put in more effort and start constructing terraces early in preparation for the El Niño rains,” Macharia said.
Public health teams are also preparing for possible disease outbreaks associated with flooding, and Mary Metkei, Ngong Ward Public Health Officer, said drainage systems in Mathare had been cleared while Ngong Sub-County Hospital had activated its emergency preparedness team.
She added that the health department was preparing medical commodities, conducting water safety awareness, and planning for water sampling and isolation in case of outbreaks such as cholera.
“We have already talked about isolation in case of any outbreaks like cholera,” Metkei said.
Public health officers and community health volunteers are educating residents on safe water practices and have asked owners of water pipes running along drainage channels to reroute them before the rains.
However, Metkei said inadequate equipment could undermine water surveillance, saying the biggest problem was there wasn’t enough equipment for water sampling.
The Kenya Meteorological Service Authority has been updating and issuing active advisories warning that a strong El Niño is established and expected to bring above-average rainfall from October through February 2027.
By Byron Ouma and Angeline Otieno
