Sifuna urges swift El Niño preparedness, calls for national response plan

Sifuna urges swift El Niño preparedness, calls for national response plan
Sifuna urges swift El Niño preparedness, calls for national response plan - Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna. (Photo: Parliament of Kenya)
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna. (Photo: Parliament of Kenya)

Sifuna said Kenya must act early to avoid a repeat of past disasters, urging authorities to clearly outline how they intend to respond to potential flooding and ensure public preparedness is strengthened across the country.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has called on the government to urgently fast-track El Niño preparedness measures and publish a comprehensive national response plan, as global and local meteorological agencies warn of heavy rainfall and heightened risks of extreme weather.
Speaking in the Senate, Sifuna said Kenya must act early to avoid a repeat of past disasters, urging authorities to clearly outline how they intend to respond to potential flooding and ensure public preparedness is strengthened across the country.
He warned that the country should not ignore expert forecasts, citing previous flooding episodes in 2023 and 2024 that resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people and the displacement of nearly 50,000 others.

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“We have to be a country that listens to experts,” Sifuna said, adding that early warning information must be matched with concrete government action to protect lives and property.
The senator further called for the immediate publication of a national El Niño preparedness and response framework, saying citizens must be informed in advance of evacuation plans and emergency procedures.
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“The national government must now publish a comprehensive El Niño preparedness and response plan. We want to know what to do in the event of certain happenings,” he said, insisting that evacuation centres in vulnerable areas should be properly established, equipped and publicly identified to ensure quick response during emergencies.

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His remarks come amid warnings from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which has confirmed the onset of El Niño conditions and projected an 80 per cent likelihood of the phenomenon developing between June and August 2026. The agency further warned that the conditions could persist with more than a 90 per cent probability later in the year, potentially reaching moderate to strong intensity.
The UN has also urged countries to strengthen early warning systems, cautioning that El Niño is a major driver of global weather patterns and is expected to bring above-average temperatures and more extreme weather in many regions.
“This update matters because El Niño is a major driver of global weather and climate patterns,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
“The footprint of an El Niño travels far beyond its origins in the Pacific Ocean, impacting agriculture, energy supplies, trade, water resources, supply chains, and livelihoods across entire regions.”

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