Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has urged development partners to redirect existing humanitarian, resilience and social protection funds towards preparations for the forecast El Niño rains expected during the October-November-December season.
Kindiki said early intervention would help save lives, protect livelihoods and reduce the cost of responding to disasters once the rains begin.
He called for flexible reprogramming of existing development financing to support anticipatory measures, while urging partners to work with the National Treasury and the National Disaster Management Authority to mobilise additional resources if the situation worsens.
“Prevention will always be more cost-effective and more humane than response,” Kindiki said.
The Deputy President spoke on Wednesday during the 15th Development Partnership Forum held at his official residence in Karen, Nairobi.
Government seeks coordinated preparedness
The meeting brought together Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Council of Governors chair Ahmed Abdullahi, governors, ambassadors, high commissioners and representatives of bilateral and multilateral development agencies.
Civil society organisations and private sector representatives also attended the forum, which focused mainly on youth and development but also addressed the emerging climate threat.
Kindiki said the forecast required urgent coordination between national and county governments, development partners, humanitarian organisations and other stakeholders.
“No discussion of development cooperation in Kenya today would be complete without addressing an immediate and pressing risk posed by the forecast El Niño-induced short rains,” he said.
He recalled the devastating 1997-98 El Niño rains, which caused loss of human, livestock and wildlife lives, widespread flooding, damage to transport infrastructure and destruction of crops.
80 per cent probability of strong El Niño
According to Kindiki, the Kenya Meteorological Department has indicated an 80 per cent or higher probability of a very strong El Niño event during the October-November-December rainfall season.
He said the rains could persist into early 2027, raising concerns about flooding and other climate-related impacts.
The Kenya Red Cross has estimated that 46 of Kenya’s 47 counties are at risk, according to Kindiki.
“This is not only a weather forecast matter, but one that calls for a well-coordinated plan of action amongst all stakeholders to confront the adverse effects of this phenomenon,” he said.
Kindiki said some development partners had already begun working with government agencies, including the National Drought Management Authority, on preparedness measures.
Government activates response framework
The government is also preparing a structured Government-Partners meeting to assess the country’s level of preparedness, identify priority interventions and coordinate available support.
Kindiki said the government had activated a multi-agency El Niño preparedness and response framework through the National Disaster Management Unit and National Disaster Operations Centre.
The framework brings together county governments, the Kenya Red Cross Society and humanitarian partners and covers early warning, contingency planning, resource mobilisation, coordinated response and recovery.
The move is intended to shift disaster management from responding after impacts occur to taking preventive action before severe rains hit vulnerable communities.
