By Brian Said Iha
Nairobi, June 5, 2026
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has called on the national government to urgently publish a comprehensive El Niño preparedness and response plan, warning that Kenya cannot afford to be caught off guard by extreme weather events that scientists have already forecast.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate, Sifuna said the country has sufficient lead time to prepare for the anticipated El Niño phenomenon and should use the available scientific forecasts to protect lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure.
The senator urged the government to release a clear national response framework outlining how state agencies, county governments and citizens should respond in the event of severe flooding and other weather-related disasters.
According to Sifuna, authorities should immediately identify, equip and publicly communicate the locations of evacuation centres in vulnerable areas to ensure communities can be moved to safety when necessary.
He also stressed the need for transparency and accountability in the management of emergency funds, arguing that all resources allocated for disaster preparedness and response should be subject to public scrutiny to prevent misuse.
Sifuna further reminded lawmakers of the devastating consequences of previous flooding episodes, noting that floods experienced in 2023 and 2024 resulted in hundreds of deaths and displaced thousands of families across the country.
His remarks come amid growing concern following forecasts by the World Meteorological Organization indicating a high probability of El Niño conditions developing in the coming months. Recent projections show an 80 per cent likelihood of the weather phenomenon emerging between June and August, with the probability increasing to more than 90 per cent later in the year.
Meteorological experts have warned that the event could reach moderate to strong intensity, potentially triggering above-normal rainfall and flooding in several parts of the country, including Nairobi, the Rift Valley and western Kenya.
Ledama Olekina also supported calls for early preparedness measures, emphasizing the need for government agencies to reinforce vulnerable infrastructure such as roads, bridges and riverbanks before the onset of heavy rains.
The renewed calls for preparedness come as both national and county governments continue reviewing disaster management strategies. In Nairobi, authorities have previously undertaken drainage clearance programmes to reduce flooding risks, while several counties have partnered with organizations such as the Kenya Red Cross to conduct emergency preparedness exercises.
Sifuna maintained that early planning, adequate resource allocation and effective public communication would be critical in reducing the impact of any future flooding and ensuring that communities are better protected from climate-related disasters.
