Health ministry warns long rains may trigger cholera, malaria

Nearly four hours of torrential rains wreaked havoc in Nairobi, leading to fatalities, property damage, and displacement of residents. March 7, 2026. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Ministry of Health has warned that the ongoing March-April-May (MAM) long rains may cause a surge in disease outbreaks, even as cholera burns through four counties and floods have already killed at least 25 people across 11 other counties.

Nairobi, Kisumu, Migori and Kwale are grappling with a cholera outbreak declared in late February 2025, with 256 suspected cases and 13 deaths recorded, pushing the case fatality rate to 5.2 per cent, far above the one per cent threshold that signals adequate treatment.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku confirmed 25 people have died in the current floods, including 21 adult males and four children, with Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Makueni, Nakuru, Migori, Bungoma, Kwale and Tharaka Nithi among the counties hit hardest.

The Kenya Meteorological Department outlook for the MAM 2026 season forecasts near to above-average rainfall over the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, highlands on both sides of the Rift and much of northwestern Kenya, with the rains expected to peak in April, a pattern that has repeatedly translated into mass casualties and displacement in previous years.

During the MAM 2024 long rains alone, an estimated 315 people were killed, 188 were injured, and 38 were reported missing, while more than 293,200 people across 58,641 families were displaced between March 1 and June 18 of that year.

"Protecting public health during this rainy season requires collective responsibility and timely action," said Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni Muriuki in a statement.

The ministry says it has strengthened disease surveillance and rapid response systems, with county health teams directed to boost community awareness and ensure health facilities are ready to manage potential outbreaks.

Muriuki urged the public to boil or treat drinking water, sleep under insecticide-treated nets, drain stagnant water near homes and avoid flooded areas, adding that anyone experiencing severe diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, or difficulty breathing should seek immediate medical attention at the nearest health facility.

President William Ruto announced the government would cover hospital bills for flood victims and deploy a multi-agency emergency response team led by the Ministry of Interior, working with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).