CS tells Kenyans living on riparian land to move ahead of El Nino rains

Environment CS Deborah Barasa after opening a multi-agency technical workshop on the rising water levels of Lakes Baringo and Bogoria at Lake Bogoria Spa and Resort in Baringo County. ‎ [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Kenyans living on riparian land across the country have been urged to vacate ahead of the El-Nino rains.

Speaking during a roundtable organised by the Nairobi Rivers Commission (NRC) on Tuesday, Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa warned of dire consequences if the directive was not followed early enough.

"Kenyans who are living along the riparian should move to safer grounds, especially during this rainy season to avoid accidents and incidents that may come following the heavy rainfall," she said.

Dr Barasa said that some parts of the country had already started experiencing rainfall, with a few weeks to go until the October onset of El-Nino.

"Some areas received short rainfalls, others have received heavy and now as we move in, we expect heavy rainfalls especially in the beginning of October going through to January," she said.

The CS, however, lauded the government approach where her ministry is assisted in mapping out areas prone to landslides and flooding.

The Nairobi Rivers Commission lamented that addressing encroachment on riparian land is a major challenge in efforts to rehabilitate the rivers.

"There's huge encroachment on the riparian spaces. It has not been easy due to lack of understanding. We have had quite a number of cases with the landowners and those who occupy the areas," Commissioner John Njoroge said.

Col Njoroge said new developments in the upper Nairobi suburbs have been the biggest challenge to work so far.

"From the University of Nairobi going up, most of the new developments have encroached but if you look at the old developments, they have left the spaces clear," he said.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, under whom the commission is domiciled, lauded the Ministry of Interior and National Government Coordination for assisting the commission to navigate the riparian evictions without triggering demonstrations.

The commission is expanding the Nairobi rivers and deepening them to achieve the designed depth, to avoid floods witnessed in March 2026.

Wahome also stressed the need to intensify preparations for the rains, especially clearing water pathways.

"We must remain proactive rather than reactive. Our preparedness must include clearing and protecting drainage channels," she said, adding that the National Government through the disaster response teams was working round the clock.

She challenged the commission to devise new ways of engaging the communities on the riparian to participate in the rehabilitation programme. The CS however warned of more resistance, especially from the political class, as the country heads to the 2027 General election.

The Environment CS noted that phase one of regeneration works done by NRC is between 60 and 70 per cent complete and the commission is now seeking for more resources from local and international partners.