Nairobi County to purchase boats, water rafts ahead of El Nino rains

The Nairobi County government has announced plans to purchase motor boats, inflatable water rafts, and boats to mitigate potential flood-related crises, amidst looming El Nino rains.

Chair of the Nairobi County El Nino taskforce Bramwel Simiyu on Wednesday affirmed the commitment to alleviate the effects of the impending El Nino rains.

In an interview with NTV, he expressed confidence in the county's readiness, highlighting the mobilization of essential assets like excavators and lorries.

“As a department, we are planning to procure within the next week or so, motorboats and inflatable rafts to help us access flooded areas,” Simiyu stated.

This follows a confirmation by the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) earlier this week, that the El Nino threat persists even though the October weather outlook suggests less intense rainfall than initially predicted.

“Kindly take note that the El Nino phenomenon remains in effect. As a result, it is expected that both the month of October and the entire season is likely to receive above-average rainfall, which remains linked to the ongoing El Niño event,” said the weatherman in response to a news article by Citizen Digital.

Governor Johnson Sakaja has also unveiled plans to safeguard city residents during the anticipated heavy downpour.

“The first and most important measure is the cleaning and draining of our drainages to avoid flooding. The recruitment of 3,500 environmental officers to clean and unclog the drainages goes a long way to ensure our preparedness for the El Nino rains,” Sakaja said while unveiling the County’s plan on Monday, September 11.

The governor further directed the directorate in the construction sector to identify unsafe buildings susceptible to flooding, with prompt evacuations planned in those areas.

In addition, he emphasized the county's commitment to reducing ambulance response time to just nine minutes, enhancing public safety.

The rainy season is expected to commence in the third and fourth weeks of this month, with above-average rainfall predicted for most parts of the country.

Notably, all counties, except Narok, Kajiado, Samburu, and Turkana, are expected to experience above-average rainfall this month, according to the latest forecast from the meteorological department.

The enhanced rainfall may impact various sectors, including health, environment, agriculture, transportation, and public safety, particularly in flood-prone areas.