'El Nino is with us,' Met department director says

Dr dismissed reports indicating that there will be no El Nino rains, terming the reports as misinformation.

He noted that the downpour will be average rainfall and might not necessarily mirror the 1997 El Nino.

"The El Nino is with us and the story about there being no El Nino is misinformation. El Nino is here," said Dr. Gikungu on Citizen TV.

He added: "No two El Nino events are the same. They are never the same."

The rainy season is expected to kick off in the third and fourth week of this month and is expected to be higher than normal in most parts of the country.

Above average rainfall is expected this month in all the counties apart from Narok, Kajiado, Samburu and Turkana, according to this month's forecast.

The forecast from the meteorological department shows that the rains will be above the long-term average for the first month of the rainy season. The enhanced rainfall is likely to impact health, environment, agriculture and transport and public safety, especially in flood-prone areas.

Meanwhile, the weatherman has urged farmers to take advantage of the rains to expand their crop cultivation and production.

Both the national and county governments have also been urged to continue with the preparedness to mitigate the impact.