Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has sounded an alarm over Kenya’s readiness to confront the looming El Niño rains, warning the country’s risks devastating floods unless urgent measures are taken. He has called on Kenyans to focus on the coming rains instead of focusing on politics.
Olekina has cautioned that climate change has often caused destruction and fatalities, especially in regions such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Tana River, Athi River, Narok, Maasai Mara, Western Kenya and other landslide-prone areas, as they are at high risk of disaster if measures not taken immediately.
The Senator highlighted that the poor drainage systems, riverbanks and blocked waterways might worsen and pastoralists and farmers who often affected by the floods through loss of livestock, crops and shelter should move to higher ground.
The World Meteorological Organisation has sent alert that El Niño is likely to emerge between May and July 2026. Kenya has historically struggled with disaster preparedness, as the past has left trails of destruction from collapsing bridges, road damage and outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
Olekina has emphasized that preventive action as is more effective and less costly than emergency response, urging the government to integrate disaster management into long-term development.