Interior CS Kindiki issues early warning to people living in flood-prone areas

Interior CS Kithure Kindiki. [File, Standard]

The Ministry of Interior has issued an early warning of areas likely to flood during the ongoing long rain season.

In a communique by Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, the government says the Seven-Forks Hydro-electric Power Dams are full adding that, they are likely to overflow to neighbouring settlement areas.

“The Seven-Forks Hydro-electric Power Dams are filled up as of this morning. Masinga Dam, which is the first, largest and most consequential of these dams, is already spilling through the managed structural spillways,” CS Kindiki says.

“This notwithstanding, any further precipitation is likely to cause the spillover to cascade to the other dams with greater flooding effects being likely in the settlements contiguous to the last dam Kiambere,”

According to Kindiki, the government is on high alert for flooding and the multi-agency committee formed during last year’s El Nino rains will be responsible for coming up with mitigation efforts.

The Ministry of Interior notes that more rains lead to River Tana bursting its banks and causing floods in Garissa, the Tana Delta and Lamu Counties.

In Western Kenya, Kindiki has highlighted areas along lakes and rivers and low-lying areas as the most likely places to be affected by floods.

Low-lying areas in Narok, Kajiado, and Mombasa as well as hilly areas traditionally prone to mudslides particularly in Makueni, Nyeri, Murang’a and West Pokot Counties, the CS has said.

“Urban areas with clogged or poor drainage, and public or private water reservoirs across the Country may also flood if the precipitation continues uninterrupted in the coming days,”

Therefore, the ministry has advised Kenyans living in flood-prone areas to evacuate before any disaster occurs.