Head of the meteorological department Dr David Gikungu said the cyclone will dump rainfall mostly in western Kenya.
“This will mark the onset of the March-April-May long rain season over the mentioned areas as had earlier been predicted,” Dr Gikungu said.
These counties are Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Trans Nzoia, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nandi, Laikipia, Nakuru, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and Busia.
“Farmers in these areas are advised to liaise with the ministry of agriculture in their counties for advice on the appropriate seeds to plant as well as good agricultural practices to maximise their yields,” Dr Gikungu said in a statement.
He said the rains that hit western Kenya and Mt Kenya areas this weekend were also caused by Cyclone Freddy.
“Freddy was responsible for the rainfall that was experienced during the last week of February in parts of the Highlands West of the Rift Valley and Lake Victoria Basin as it made landfall in Mozambique,” Dr Gikungu said.
This is the second time Freddy has hit Mozambique, with the cyclone originally making landfall late last month.
Experts said the cyclone will go further inland in Mozambique this week, generating heavy rains in neighbouring countries.
It is currently the earth’s longest tropical storm, enduring 33 days so far, surpassing the 31-day life of 1994′s Hurricane-Typhoon John.
Dr Gikungu said the rainfall over western Kenya will occasionally spill over to a few areas in the Rift Valley highlands and central Kenya (Nairobi, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang'a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu, and Tharaka counties).
He said the long rains season in this area could begin from next week.
The onset of the seasonal rainfall is expected towards the end of the third week and beginning of the fourth week of March, he said.
Rainfall will also increase from Tuesday in Turkana, West Pokot, and Samburu. However, this rainfall is likely to be followed by long dry spells.
The rainfall is likely to increase in intensity from Wednesday in Wajir, Garissa, Isiolo, Mandera and Marsabit, but this is not yet the long rains.
“The onset over these areas is however undefined as the rainfall is likely to be followed by long dry spells,” Dr Gikungu said.
The counties of Kajiado, Kitui, Makueni, Machakos and Taita Taveta will remain generally dry, but a few areas might occasionally receive some light rainfall from Tuesday.
The rainfall is expected to spread to several areas during the fourth week of March, which will mark the onset of the seasonal rainfall.
Mombasa, Tana River, Kilifi, Lamu, and Kwale counties will also remain generally sunny for the remaining part of this month.
However occasional rainfall may be experienced especially from the fourth week of March.
“Onset is expected during the first to second week of April in South Coast and the second to third week of April in North Coast,” Dr Gikungu said.
At least 4.4 million people in the 23 dry counties facing acute food insecurity and an additional 0.5 million in nine non-Asal counties
In addition, 970,000 children younger than five years and 142,000 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers requiring urgent life-saving treatment for malnutrition, the government said.
Two weeks ago, Asals and Regional Development CS Rebecca Miano said the government has released an additional Sh2 billion to secure relief food distribution to the affected counties and procurement is ongoing.
She said the National Drought Management Authority is providing livestock feed supplements and implementing water-related interventions with funding from the National Drought Emergency Fund and the European Union.
“Cumulative effects of previous successive below-average rainfall seasons have led to depletion of pasture and grazing in most ASAL (arid and semi-arid lands) counties.
This has resulted in poor body condition of livestock and widespread mortalities," she said.
"The ministry, through the NDMA, is in the process of dispatching 60,480 bags (50kgs) of livestock feed supplements worth Sh145 million to eight Asal counties. We have already dispatched feed to Kitui, Makueni, Kajiado, Marsabit and Isiolo and finalising logistics for dispatch to Mandera, Wajir and Nyeri counties.”
(Edited by V. Graham)
