The government has activated a multi-agency El Niño response plan targeting 18 high-risk counties as it prepares for the anticipated heavy rains.
Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni says the Ministry of Health is engaging partners to strengthen preparedness and mitigate the effects of the expected rains.
PS Muthoni said the scale of the anticipated El Niño rains requires a coordinated response, with partners playing a key role in complementing government efforts.
Muthoni said the ministry has drawn lessons from previous disasters and is strengthening its response systems.
She was speaking Wednesday during a health partners’ engagement on preparations for the Kenya Public Health International Conference, KEPHIC 2026, scheduled for October 27 to 29.
In 2023, 43 counties were affected by El Niño-related impacts.
Health partners are being called upon to support the establishment of temporary medical facilities, emergency medical services, health promotion, nutrition assessments, safe water and sanitation interventions, logistics, protection of critical infrastructure and the supply of medical commodities to affected areas.
The ministry also plans to distribute 10 million treated mosquito nets from November to more than four million people as part of measures to prevent diseases associated with heavy rains.
Meanwhile, PS Muthoni said the State Department for Public Health has prepared a Cabinet memorandum proposing the designation of one day every month for Kenyans to clean their estates and surroundings, modelled on Rwanda’s community-cleaning programme.
The proposal is expected to be presented to the Cabinet for consideration.
