With Idd-ul-Fitr celebrations set to begin tomorrow, Kenya’s Interior Ministry has escalated the national response to an emergency footing following the Kenya Meteorological Department’s (KMD) fresh heavy rainfall advisory warning of intensified downpours across much of the country starting today and persisting through next Tuesday.
Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced that all National Government Administration (NGA) officials nationwide are now on high alert, directed to collaborate closely with the National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), Kenya Coast Guard, Red Cross, county governments, and other emergency partners for rapid, coordinated interventions against flash floods, landslides, and related hazards.
Onesmus Kipchumba Murkomen
“Following the heavy rainfall warning by the Meteorological Department, affecting many parts of the country beginning tomorrow and continuing until Tuesday, we have put the National Government Administration officials across the country on high alert,” Murkomen stated in an official release. “They are under instructions to work with officers from the National Police Service and other emergency responders to provide a swift and coordinated response in case of any incidents.”
The Ministry urged the public to exercise extra caution, especially during travel and gatherings for Idd-ul-Fitr, and to strictly follow KMD safety guidelines in flood-prone zones.
Issued March 18, KMD’s Heavy Rainfall Advisory forecasts rainfall exceeding 20mm in 24 hours from March 19 to March 24, 2026, with peak intensity expected between March 20 and 23 before a slight easing on Tuesday. Affected regions include:
– Lake Victoria Basin (Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Siaya, Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, Kisii, Nyamira)
– Rift Valley (Nakuru, Baringo, Kericho, Bomet, Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo-Marakwet, West Pokot)
– Highlands West and East of the Rift Valley, including Nairobi and central counties (Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Laikipia, Embu, Meru, Tharaka-Nithi, Nairobi)
– Additional counties: Turkana, Samburu, Narok, Kajiado, Taita Taveta, Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Garissa, Tana River, and others
Residents are strongly advised to:
– Avoid driving or walking through flowing water
– Beware of flash floods even in areas without local heavy rain (due to upstream runoff)
– Stay away from trees and metal structures during thunderstorms
– Remain vigilant in landslide-prone hilly areas (Aberdares, Mt. Kenya slopes)
The alert arrives amid Kenya’s worst flooding episode of the long rains season so far. Official figures confirm 73 lives lost and 7 people still missing due to recent floods, with widespread destruction across 21 counties including Nairobi, Kisumu, Narok, Kiambu, Migori, Siaya, Makueni, Busia, Wajir, Taita Taveta, Baringo, Kajiado, Kitui, Kwale, Machakos, Kericho, Tharaka Nithi, and West Pokot.
Impacts include:
– 68,975 people from 13,795 households displaced
– 66,568 additional people from 13,313 households affected
– Destruction of homes, schools, markets, roads, water, and electricity infrastructure
Multi-agency teams — including KDF, NPS, Coast Guard, NGAOs, county governments, engineers, Kenya Red Cross, Kenya Power, and others — remain deployed for rescues, relief, and restoration.
As families prepare to celebrate Idd-ul-Fitr, authorities emphasize collective responsibility: look out for vulnerable community members, avoid low-lying areas, clear drainage channels, prepare emergency kits, and monitor official updates from @MeteoKenya, @InteriorKE, and @kipmurkomen.
“Your safety, and that of your loved ones, must come first,” the Ministry stressed.
