Garissa
Governor Nathif Jama speaking /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Different stakeholders in Garissa have started preparations in earnest for the anticipated El Niño
rains, with the county expected to receive above-average rainfall from the
first week of October.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama at the weekend chaired
a high-level preparedness meeting at his office that brought together officials
from the county and national governments, the Kenya Meteorological Department, the National Drought Management Authority, the Kenya Red Cross Society and other
partners.

The meeting marked the beginning of a coordinated
preparedness process aimed at mitigating the effects of heavy rains, flash
floods and possible flooding along the Tana River.

Governor Jama said the county could not afford to
wait until the rains begin before taking action, noting that a multi-agency
committee had been established to spearhead preparedness measures.

“We have said we must plan and prepare seriously
for this situation. Today, we have held our first meeting to discuss the matter
in detail, and we are now on course for full preparedness,” the governor added.

The county’s immediate priority would be to intensify
public awareness, particularly among residents living in riverine and other
flood-prone areas.

Residents along the river have also been advised to
move to safer grounds and remain alert.

Jama further warned that increased rainfall in the
Tana River catchment could trigger flooding downstream, making early
preparedness critical.

The governor said
stakeholders would meet in Dadaab next week to further strengthen the
preparedness plan, followed by weekly meetings to assess the evolving situation
and identify areas requiring intervention.

Garissa deputy county commissioner Sebastian
Okiring said the county was already mapping out hotspots and evacuation centres
while mobilising resources to respond to possible emergencies.

He said the impact of the rains could be compounded
by increased water levels in hydroelectric dams upstream, potentially resulting
in water releases that could affect downstream communities in Garissa.

“From Monday, we will have a four-day participatory
scenario planning meeting, where we will bring on board key players, partners
and stakeholders. We will map out the resources we currently have and identify
additional resources that may be required,” Okiring said.

NDMA Garissa coordinator Abdinoor Dubow said the County Disaster
Preparedness and Response Committee had already developed a preparedness plan,
identified flood hotspots and mapped evacuation centres.

He said the technical committee would meet weekly
to review interventions against the latest meteorological information and
adjust its response accordingly.

“We aim to ensure that we do not lose lives or
livelihoods,” Dubow said.

KMD’s Garissa representative Mwambao Tuva said the
weather outlook would be refined through the participatory scenario planning process
beginning Monday, after which an updated forecast would be issued.

He said the department would continue providing
regular seven-day, five-day and monthly forecasts to ensure communities and
stakeholders received timely information as weather conditions evolved.

Kenya Red Cross Garissa coordinator Daud Ahmed said
the organisation had already enhanced the capacity of first-line responders and
positioned emergency supplies and equipment for possible flooding.

He said boats would be available to evacuate people
who could become stranded, while food, water, sanitation and hygiene,
as well as supplies, medical items, nutritional
supplements and other non-food items, had been prepared.

The Red Cross has also placed response teams and
vehicles on standby, particularly to support communities living along the
riverine areas.

Ahmed said the organisation would work with government agencies and local
structures to ensure early-warning messages reached communities, including
through radio programmes, community barazas and Red Cross volunteers.

The stakeholders said the weekly coordination
meetings and continuous dissemination of weather information would be critical
in ensuring Garissa was adequately prepared before the onset of the expected
heavy rains.

According to the meteorological department, Garissa
is among the counties that are expected to receive above-average rainfall
starting the first week of October.

Among the areas that will be worst hit are Dadaab,
Fafi, Holugho, Ijara, Liboi, Bura East and Garissa Township.

In the Northeast, the meteorological outlook has
identified risks including flash and riverine flooding, loss of human and
livestock lives, displacement of communities and destruction of roads and
bridges.

Others include damage to homes and other
infrastructure, waterborne and vector-borne diseases, damage to crops and livestock, disruption of transport and trade and possible
disruption of schools and national examinations.

Last week, the government said it has activated a
national contingency and preparedness approach involving national government
agencies, county governments, security agencies, humanitarian organisations and
other disaster-management stakeholders.

Garissa
Governor Nathif Jama chairing the meeting/STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Garissa
Deputy County Commissioner Sebastian Okiring/STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Kenya
Red Cross Garissa Coordinator Daud Ahmed /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

KMD’s
Garissa representative Mwambao Tuva / STEPHEN ASTARIKO