Government Explains Why El Nino Has Not Been Declared A National Disaster

State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed has provided an explanation for the government’s decision not to declare the El Nino phenomenon as a national disaster.

Addressing the media following a Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto, Mohamed stated that the current situation does not meet the criteria for a national disaster declaration.

“The matter was discussed during the meeting, but the Cabinet concluded that the situation is being managed effectively,” Mohamed explained.

He emphasized that the decision to declare a national disaster is based on data gathered from the ground, and the current assessment indicates that the situation is alarming but not yet at the level of a national disaster.

Mohamed announced the establishment of a national disaster operations center at Nyayo House under the Ministry of Interior to continuously monitor the situation and assess whether a national disaster declaration is warranted.

He acknowledged the impact of El Nino, noting that it has caused the loss of 75 lives and the displacement of 35,000 households. To address these challenges, the government has disbursed Sh10 billion in shareable revenue to counties for relief efforts and plans to allocate an additional Sh10 billion.

Mohamed also highlighted the positive effects of the heavy rains, particularly in Kenya’s food basket regions. To support farmers, the government has allocated Sh500 million to New KCC for milk offtake, and the increased hydroelectricity generation is expected to reduce power tariffs.

Regarding the miscommunication between the president and the Kenya Meteorological Department concerning the possibility of El Nino, Mohamed defended the government’s actions, emphasizing that weather forecasting is not an exact science. However, the government took preventive measures to mitigate the risks associated with El Nino.