The rains will cover most of the country, Met director Dr David Gikungu said.
Dr Gikungu said people living in Rift Valley highlands, around Lake Victoria, the Coast, Ukambani and northeastern Kenya should keep watch.
“Flooding is likely to continue being experienced in poorly drained and low-lying areas,” he said in a statement.
At the same time, the Dagoretti-Corner-based IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre told Kenyans rains will continue throughout May in many places, particularly Western Kenya.
Temperatures will also be low over most of the country, which is normal for May.
“Cooler than average temperatures expected over cross-border areas of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, north-central Ethiopia, and central to north-western Tanzania,” Icpac said in a separate statement.
The ongoing downpour has caused flooding in many low-lying counties.
Last week, a downpour in Mombasa left many roads and streets flooded.
The heavy rains also caused street flooding and congestion in most parts of Mombasa and left stall owners along the Mombasa-Kwale highway counting loses after flood waters swept their structures.
Governor Abdulswamad Nassir said the devolved government will constitute a disaster team that will carry out surveys on the extent caused by the heavy rains.
“The disaster committee will take details of the situation and teams will be deployed to carry out rescue operations if need be,” he said.
Northern Kenya is also experiencing flooding.
Last week, insurance companies began paying Sh173 million to the pastoralists who lost their livestock to the just-ended drought.
Livestock Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai said the payouts are for the October-November-December 2022 short rains seasons.
The insurance payouts are being done through a five-year project known as De-risking, Inclusion and Value Enhancement of the pastoral economies.
He said the project will be implemented in 21 ASAL counties of Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Isiolo, Samburu, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Baringo, West Pokot, Narok, Laikipia, Kajiado, Makueni, Kitui, Lamu, Taita Taveta, Kilifi and Kwale.
The beneficiaries are pastoral groups that are sufficiently structured around productive activities.
“This project will not only enhance food and self-sufficiency in ASAL areas, but will also immensely contribute the realisation of the national goal of poverty reduction,” the PS told the Star during an interview.
He said the livestock sector has been facing many challenges including climate change, severe droughts, inadequate water resources, pasture and quality feeds, underdeveloped breeding and management of livestock, lack of proper marketing channels and socio-economic constraints.
Kimtai noted that severe drought on average, affects three to four million people in each drought cycle in the country, the most affected regions being Arid and Semi-Arid Lands.
“High exposure to severe drought shocks and their devastating impact on livestock production systems informed us to adopt livestock insurance for rangelands. Severe drought shocks not only disrupt the livestock production but also hurt livestock markets,” the PS said.
“For example, when rains fail, panic sales kick in leading to the price collapse. Lack of reliable market coupled with undeveloped feed markets have led to animal deaths, trapping most pastoralists in poverty. The ASAL counties perform poorly in all development indicators, schools' dropouts, and stunted growth among children is highest in these regions,” Kimtai said.
-Edited by SKanyara
