Kenya is already experiencing the El Nino rains that had been predicted by the weatherman before the forecast was scaled down to enhanced heavy rainfall.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Friday announced the country was already in the El Nino phenomenon and urged all stakeholders including development partners to help save lives and protect property.
The call came even as the Red Cross urged for more concerted efforts to address the effects of raging floods in the Northeastern region where at least 14 people have died while the number of those displaced continues to rise.
In Nairobi, Gachagua who spoke after chairing the National Emergency Response Committee said the government has deployed KDF aircraft to help in evacuating those marooned by floods.
"As we speak, we're delivering the KCSE exams to areas disconnected due to damaged roads," he said.
Gachagua said the government had also activated multi-agency teams and mobilised technical and financial resources for easier response.
"We are distributing food, maize, rice, beans, cooking oil and non-food items to tens of families affected to reduce their suffering," he said.
The DP had earlier called Kenya Meteorological Department director David Gikunju to confirm that indeed it was El Nino and not just heavy rains the country was experiencing.
"Let me point out that we have El Nino and we do apologise for the miscommunication. Moving forward, let's prepare ourselves for the enhanced rainfall as a result of the El Nino phenomenon that we are in now," Gachagua said.
"I think the matter is settled and El Nino it is."
The new weather forecast has projected heavy rains until April and Gachagua said the government will continuously sensitise the public.
At least 19 counties in arid and semi-arid lands have so far been adversely affected with roads being cut off.
“Sections of roads have been cut off in counties such as Wajir, Isiolo, Mandera, Marsabit, Tana River, and Garissa, among others. This has reduced access via land,” he said.
Several families, he added, have been displaced in Northern Kenya and downstream in areas like the Tana River with efforts to document the missing persons, livestock lost and crops destroyed ongoing.
At least 14 people have been killed by flash floods in Northern Kenya while two drowned in two separate incidents following heavy rains in Nairobi.
One of the bodies was found in the Tasia area after it had been swept downstream on Thursday, police said. Another five-year-old boy slipped into a flooded Mathare River and drowned.
Police said the boy was playing with other children at the banks of the river when he slipped and fell into the water drowning.
But the situation was quickly worsening in Northern Kenya where Red Cross regional manager Mohamed Abdikadir said the numbers of those displaced were rising and could surpass 40,000 households as the rains continue.
Mohamed said the biggest challenge facing the organisation is getting both food and non-food items to victims who have been marooned and cannot be reached by road.
“These are families in urgent need of food, non-food items, shelter and drugs to prevent respiratory and waterborne diseases. In most of these areas that have been submerged, sanitation issues will be compromised,” he said.
The regional head said Mandera county remains the worst hit with Elwak town and its environs completely submerged by the flood waters.
In Wajir county, Buna, Diff and Dadajabula towns are also under water while in Garissa county Hulugho, Galmagalla, Gurufa, Modogashe have either been cut off or submerged.
“The biggest challenge we are faced with is getting these food and non-food items to the victims in Buna, Dadajabula, Diff and Elwak. What we have done so far is to do airdrops of these items,” Mohamed said.
“We are currently assessing Dadajabula. For Buna we shall airlift the relief supplies from Moyale,” he added.
He thanked the Mandera county government for their support disclosing that they airlifted 9.8 metric tonnes of both food and non-food items to more than 1,000 families in Elwak town. The airdrops also included water purification.
Meanwhile, hundreds of families in Windsor, Bulla Sheikh, Bulla Punda, Ziwani, Bakuyu in Garissa county and Mororo in Tana River county were forced out of their homes last night after river Tana broke its banks.
By this morning houses, shops, schools, churches and mosques in these settlements along the river Tana had completely been submerged as families tried to salvage their belongings.
A spot-check showed that families had started putting up temporary shelters by the roadside in anticipation of help from the county and national governments as well as other humanitarian agencies.
“As you can see the situation has forced us to camp by the roadside because we have nowhere to go to. Lucky for those who have sought shelter among relatives in neighbouring Madogo,” a humanitarian official said.
“We have young families who cannot brace for the cold weather at night. We are worried that waterborne and respiratory diseases will soon break out if urgent assistance doesn’t come our way."
On Wednesday, North Eastern regional commissioner John Otieno while touring the damaged Garissa - Modogashe road cautioned members of the public and motorists against crossing flooded roads saying the 14 fatalities in the region were as a result of drowning.
