Don’t rely on charcoal jikos to keep warm this cold season, Kenyans warned

This comes as some parts of Nairobi and other regions of the country continue to experience cold weather mostly during morning and evening hours.

The occasional drizzles experienced in some parts of the country have only made it worse.

The weather department has predicted that the temperatures will fall below 18 degrees in Nairobi, Kiambu, Murang’a and Nyeri among other counties in coming weeks.

The forecasters said the cold season could lead to the spike in respiratory diseases like asthma, pneumonia, flu and the common cold in the regions.

“Prolonged hours of overcast skies (cloudy conditions) are expected to cause cold and chilly conditions on some days,” says a report by Kenya Meteorological Department Director David Gikungu.

He advised those experiencing the chilly weather to adopt warm dress codes and follow advice from the Ministry of Health.

“They are also advised to avoid using charcoal jikos in poorly ventilated houses as these jikos produce carbon monoxide gas that is lethal when inhaled,” the metrological department report added

Cases of Malaria are also expected, but this may not rise beyond normal transmission due to the predicted reduced temperatures during the season.

“Waterborne diseases may also increase in these areas as a result of contamination of domestic water sources,” the report added.