Gov't reveals 174 people were killed by El Nino floods as Met department predicts dry spell in January

The recently witnessed El Niño rains led to the loss of 174 lives across the country, including 133 adults and 41 children.

This is according to the National El Nino Emergency and Disaster Control Centre, which also noted the agricultural sector was also severely affected by the heavy rains.

“84,568 acres of land and 6706 animals primarily goats and sheep were affected. This has had a substantial impact on several Counties, including Lamu, Tana River, Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Homabay, and Kitui, posing a serious threat to food security,” read the statement.

According to the statement, focused efforts are being made to restore damaged infrastructure. This includes the repair of 7,878 affected schools, paving the way for their reopening.

Additionally, the coordinated efforts of various agencies in disaster preparedness and response have been crucial in effectively managing the impacts of the El Nino rains.

“The number of displaced households has been reduced to 15,208 across 79 camps, a significant decrease from the initial 170 camps hosting 109,179 displaced households. The State Department of Special Programmes has distributed over 4,604.6 Metric Tonnes of food items in rice, beans, fortified flour and corned beef to affected Counties,” indicated the statement.

Additionally, as the country recovers and transitions from El Nino and its consequences, the Kenya Meteorological Department advised Kenyans to expect sunny and dry conditions across most of the country until at least the end of January 2024.

However, specific regions including the Lake Victoria basin, Southern Rift Valley, South-Eastern lowlands, Highlands East of the Rift Valley, and South Coast region are expected to experience sporadic rainfall.