The Right to Food Coalition has urged the national and county governments to accelerate preparations for the expected El Niño rains, warning that delays in implementing flood mitigation measures could worsen food insecurity and deepen inequalities.
Addressing the press in Nairobi on Friday, September 18, the coalition said the Kenya Meteorological Department had projected an 81 per cent chance of a very strong El Niño, with rains expected to begin in mid-October and potentially continue into January 2027.
The coalition, which comprises the Institute for Social Accountability (TISA), Welthungerhilfe Kenya, Youth Alive! Kenya and Africa Food Forest Foundation, among other organisations, said the government must urgently translate weather forecasts, preparedness plans and allocated resources into tangible protection for vulnerable communities.
“The time to prepare is now,” the coalition said, warning that Kenya risked repeating the devastating effects of previous floods if action was delayed.
The coalition cited the 2024 floods, which killed 315 people, displaced 410,000 and caused an estimated Sh187 billion in damage. It also noted that more than 60 people died during the March 2026 floods, followed by 18 deaths in landslides in Tharaka-Nithi, Elgeyo-Marakwet and Kiambu counties.
While acknowledging government efforts to prepare for the expected rains, including the development of a national contingency plan, mapping of flood and landslide hotspots, drainage clearance, river and dam monitoring, evacuation awareness campaigns and the pre-positioning of emergency supplies, the coalition said implementation remained critical.
It also cited a directive requiring all 47 counties to identify high-risk areas and safer evacuation grounds, as well as climate-resilience financing for county governments.
However, the coalition said the immediate priority was ensuring that preparedness plans and allocated funds translated into completed projects and accessible emergency services before the rains intensified.
“The problem is not simply the size of the budget. The problem is what happens between allocation and action,” the statement said.
It added that funds allocated but not released, or money released but not utilised, could not be considered effective disaster preparedness.
Nairobi was cited as an example of the urgency required, with the coalition noting that the city had 227 mapped flood hotspots and had reportedly committed Sh2.4 billion to flood resilience, including Sh2 billion for drainage works along 19 roads.
However, the coalition said that as of late August, the projects were still at an advanced tendering stage, with contractors expected to begin work only weeks before the rains.
It urged the Nairobi County Government to demonstrate how the funds were translating into completed drainage works and improved protection for residents in flood-prone areas.
The coalition also called for weekly public updates on preparedness activities, including funds released and spent, completed and pending projects, available emergency supplies and the status of evacuation plans.
The updates, it said, should be independently verifiable, provided in accessible formats and local languages, and accompanied by clear channels through which communities can report gaps and receive responses.
It further called for functional early-warning systems in identified flood hotspots, verified evacuation routes and shelters, and the pre-positioning of emergency resources and response teams.
The government was also urged to establish clear forecast thresholds that would trigger early interventions before flooding occurs, including the distribution of food and non-food supplies and support for communities facing mobility, communication and protection barriers.
The coalition warned that heavy rains could disrupt food production, damage farms and livestock, destroy markets and block roads, reducing food availability and driving up prices.
It said the effects could extend to access to clean water, healthcare, sanitation, housing, education and livelihoods, particularly among households already facing economic hardship.
Women and girls, persons with disabilities, children, older persons, pastoralists, small-scale farmers and residents of informal settlements were identified as groups likely to face additional challenges during flooding and displacement.
The coalition called for preparedness measures that address unequal care responsibilities, safety concerns and barriers to accessing information and essential services.
It urged the Ministries of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Health and Social Protection, alongside county governments, to ensure farmers and vulnerable households receive timely support.
Proposed interventions include protecting crops and livestock, maintaining food supply chains, safeguarding household incomes, strengthening social protection and ensuring continued access to nutrition and healthcare services.
The Ministry of Health was specifically urged to strengthen disease surveillance, pre-position essential medicines and water-treatment supplies, and prepare health facilities in flood-prone areas for possible increases in waterborne and other flood-related diseases.
The coalition also called on the National Treasury to ensure that resources already provided for in the budget are released and used transparently for preparedness.
It said the National Drought Management Authority and the Kenya Meteorological Department should ensure that early warnings translate into timely action.
The coalition further called for an inclusive coordination process involving national and county governments, civil society organisations and representatives of affected communities to improve communication, share preparedness plans and budgets, and monitor implementation.
It said the reported mobilisation of emergency financing, alongside existing climate-resilience allocations, should result in measurable protection for communities.
“We are not asking the government to identify a new source of funding. We are asking that resources already available be released, coordinated and used transparently and effectively,” the statement said.
The coalition said Kenya already had weather forecasts, risk maps, disaster-response institutions and lessons from previous floods, adding that the priority was to bring these resources together before the rains intensified.
“The greatest failure would be that Kenya was warned, had money, knew where the risks were, knew what needed to be done, and still waited until people were in danger,” the coalition said.
It reaffirmed its readiness to work with national and county governments, communities and other stakeholders to strengthen preparedness and protect the rights and dignity of all Kenyans.
