No amount of planning would have prepared us for these floods - Environment CS Tuya

Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya now says no amount of planning could have adequately prepared Kenya for the catastrophic floods currently ravaging most parts of the country.

Speaking on Citizen TV's JKLive Show on Wednesday, the CS highlighted the unprecedented nature of the torrential rains, attributing the downpours to the alarming effects of global warming.

"I don't think anyone would ever have been prepared for what we are seeing. These are unprecedented times. Some parts of this country have never seen floods before. So in terms of preparedness, I think it would be unfair for anybody to say that anyone would have been prepared for this situation," she said.

"This brings us to the realization that we are really living in a state of emergency in regards to the climate crisis we are facing not just as Kenya but globally. When I say state of emergency, I do not mean it in the literal sense; it is the catastrophic levels the climate crisis is taking us to in terms of global warming."  

Additionally, the CS cited Scientific research and studies which she said have directly linked unprecedented weather patterns to the rising impacts of climate change globally.

"Scientists have told us this before; the rate at which our globe is warming is at catastrophic levels and unfortunately it calls for global action. The effects are not caused by one country.; this is a global problem that requires global action. Unfortunately we are not doing enough as a global community," said CS Tuya.

She further highlighted the disproportionate contributions to global warming across the world, noting that developed countries account for the lion's share of carbon emissions.

Addressing skeptics of climate change, CS Tuya emphasized that the reality of the crisis is now undeniable.

"Some people have been skeptical about the climate change discourse taking place around the globe but we are at a point where no one needs convincing anymore; climate change is real; it is a matter of life and death," she said.