Floods to hit Nairobi and four other counties

Urban centres with poor drainage are among regions likely to be flooded, the Kenya Meteorological Department has said.

The other areas are Turkana, West Pokot, Marsabit and Samburu counties, the Met department tweeted on Friday.

“The rainfall may cause flash floods in low lying areas including urban centres which have poor drainage systems.”

Separately, acting director of the Met department Stella Aura said heavy rainfall (more than 30mm) will be experienced in Nairobi, Isiolo, Samburu, Kisii, Narok, Kajiado and Trans Nzoia in the next five days.

Aura said moderate rainfall is expected in northern Kenya counties of Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir and Garissa.

“Moderate rains expected in south-eastern counties of Kitui, Makueni, Machakos, Kajiado and Taita Taveta,” she said.

The five-day forecast said the coastal strip - Mombasa, Tana River, Kilifi, Lamu, and Kwale - will have depressed rainfall. Temperatures will average 35 degrees Celsius. 

Temperatures in Garissa and Isiolo will be  as high as 40 degrees Celsius.

Aura called for contingency plans and strategies to avert conflicts in the coastal strip and southeastern regions due to the scramble of limited resources.

"Human-wildlife and inter-community conflicts over the limited resources are likely to be on the increase in these areas. Contingency plans and strategies should, therefore, be in place to avert such incidences."

The Met official said flood-prone areas such as Budalang’i, Kano plains, Western Kenya and Central Highland areas like Murang'a will be affected by flooding from early June.

She asked the National Disaster Operations Centre to come up with floods mitigation measures in those places.