Turkana, Kenya – The Turkana County Government, through its Water Services Department, has established a multi-sectoral team to respond to potential flood damages caused by the swelling of River Turkwel. The Chief Officer for the Water Services Department, David Maraka, will lead this team, which includes both state and non-state actors in the water and natural resource management sector. According to Kenya News Agency, Representatives from various organizations like NEMA, UNICEF, WSTF, USAID STAWI, KVDA, WRA, USAID LMS, and NDMA will be part of this team, as will departments in Public Works, Public Health, Urban Areas Management, Disaster Management, and others.

The formation of this team follows a two-day assessment by the Department of Water Services, which revealed the vulnerability of several water points to flooding due to ongoing El-Nino rains. A particular concern is borehole 9 in Kanamkemer area, serving around 40,000 residents, now facing imminent threat due to the rising water levels of River Turkwell. The team’s immediate task is to develop a technical report for decision-making and resource mobilization. This initiative is also informed by past experiences in 2017 and 2021, when floods led to the loss of seven boreholes in Lodwar Municipality. Chief Officer for Public Works, Cathra Abdi, mentioned that the team would also issue safety alerts to residents regarding flooding and would work closely with Public Works for technical support.