The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Social Development, Mr. Mohamed Ali Omar, has convened a multi-stakeholder preparedness meeting to plan for El Niño, following the seasonal forecast issued by the Kenya Meteorological Department.
The meeting brought together Directors from key County Government departments, development partners, humanitarian agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
In his opening remarks, the CECM emphasised the importance of early preparedness and coordinated action to minimise the potential impacts of El Niño on communities, infrastructure, livelihoods and essential services. He urged all relevant departments to develop sector-specific preparedness and response plans aimed at mitigating the anticipated risks associated with above-normal rainfall and flooding.
The CECM further called upon stakeholders to:
- Review and update the County Flood Contingency Plan;
- Strengthen inter-agency coordination and information sharing;
- Identify high-risk areas and vulnerable populations for targeted interventions;
- Enhance community awareness and early warning dissemination;
- Support the implementation of Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP) to translate seasonal forecasts into early actions;
- Mobilise resources and strengthen partnerships to ensure timely preparedness and response.
The meeting concluded with a commitment from all stakeholders to work collaboratively in implementing preparedness measures and to regularly monitor the evolving weather forecasts to enable timely early action.
