Elgeyo Marakwet – Elgeyo Marakwet County has initiated an El-Niño inter-agency preparedness contingency committee, composed of the Kenya Red Cross Society and representatives from national and county governments.

According to Kenya News Agency, the county has established a command center to coordinate rescue and relief activities. Residents are urged to report any incidents using toll-free numbers including 1199, 0720 903030, 0728 602502, and 0704 220220.

The formation of this committee comes as the county faces the consequences of the current El-Niño rains, which have already resulted in two fatalities due to flooding and affected approximately 3,500 households across 37 villages. Governor Wisley Rotich named Turesha, Biretwo, Kibendo, Arror, and Upper Sambirir as some of the most affected villages. During the committee’s launch at his office, the governor reported that 35 animals have also been buried alive by floods and warned of more expected calamities as the rains intensify.

Governor Rotich highlighted the committee’s adoption of a geospatial information system to provide live updates on El-Niño prevalence in the county. He advised residents in waterways and landslide-prone areas to relocate to safer grounds. Additionally, he encouraged farmers to utilize the ongoing rains for planting short-term crops and tree planting, as well as establishing water pans for irrigation and domestic use during the dry season.