The Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) has announced a prolonged rainy season in the country amid a heavy downfall in Nairobi. In the statement, the Weatherman announced that the country will experience heavy rainfall from March to May 2022.
According to the Kenya Meteorological Department statement issued on Tuesday, February 22, Nairobi will be among regions that will be experiencing heavy rainfall as well as the Rift Valley region.
Further, the Weatherman noted that the Lake Victoria region, the East of the Rift Valley region, the Central Region of the Rift Valley, and, the Southeastern lowlands will also receive the enhanced rainfall.
Notably, the weatherman stated that there will be near average rainfall expected over the Northeastern and the Coastal regions.
The peak of the rains will be experienced in April for most regions except over the Coastal Strip where the prime will be expected in May 2022.
Nairobians had to battle heavy rainfall on Tuesday afternoon, which affected traffic flow along some of the busy roads. Motorists using Mbagathi Way were affected after a tree fell in the middle of the road.
In other areas of the city, residents shared videos of hailstorms as the Capital was experiencing rainfall. Editor and writer, at The Conversation Africa, Moina Spooner shared a video showing the hailstorms in Nairobi.
City dwellers also took to social media complaining that the rainfall had caused flooding, raising concerns that the county government had not done enough to solve the drainage issue in Nairobi.
“Our taps are dry because Nairobi Water is rationing water while over 2.3 million Kenyans are facing starvation because of drought. All this runoff water ends up in sewer lines and polluted rivers. No new building should be approved in Kenya without a rainwater harvesting system,” activist Boniface Mwangi opined. Motorists using Waiayaki Way also raised concerns over the poor drainage system partly caused by the ongoing construction of the Expressway.
The report by the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG) indicated that the rainfall onset was timely in the western parts of the country but varied in the eastern parts of the country.
According to the report, the rains were poorly distributed in space and time, particularly where below-average rainfall was received significantly affecting cropping both livestock and crop production.
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