Kenya Confronts Deadly Floods and Looming Cyclone Threat

President William Ruto delivered an address from the State House cautioning that the nation’s ongoing floods pose an increasingly dire threat that demands immediate and comprehensive action.

The catastrophic deluge has already claimed 210 lives. This toll is anticipated to escalate further as meteorological forecasts warn of persistent and intensifying rainfall throughout the remainder of this month and potentially beyond. Compounding the crisis, a cyclone dubbed Hidaya is poised to strike the Kenyan coast. This storm system threatens to unleash torrential downpours, ferocious winds, and perilous oceanic swells, jeopardizing marine activities in the Indian Ocean and coastal settlements alike.

In an alarming development, the Kenya Meteorological Department and the IGAD Climate Prediction Applications Centre have issued an unprecedented warning signalling the potential for Kenya’s first-ever cyclone to make landfall. The flood waters, relentless and unforgiving, have swept away everything in their unrelenting path, leaving a trail of destruction that has tested the nation’s resilience. President Ruto has responded with a series of directives to various ministries to mitigate the catastrophic impacts and safeguard lives and property.

A critical priority is the evacuation of individuals residing in proximity to dams at risk of overflow and those situated in riparian reserves. The President reveals that an alarming 178 dams across 33 counties have reached full capacity posing an imminent threat to nearby settlements. The Seven Forks Hydro-Electric power dams have reached historic highs with the Masinga and Kiambere dams already spilling over, endangering the counties of Garissa and Tana River.