Over 80,000 Kilifi families face possible displacement as El Nino rains loom

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Women rush to cover themselves during a heavy downpour in Kisumu. [File, Standard]

More than 80,000 families in Kilifi County face possible displacement as the region prepares for anticipated heavy El Nino rains expected to begin in October and extend into January next year.

Kilifi County Chief Officer for Special Programmes and Disaster Management Irene Opicho said her department had already begun mapping flood-prone areas and sensitising communities likely to be affected.

Speaking during an ongoing five-day Early Warning Preparedness Plan Workshop that brought together County and National Government, Kenya Red Cross and the Kenya Meteorological Department stakeholders, Opicho said the county has already launched a coordinated preparedness plan targeting communities living in flood-prone areas that have historically borne the brunt of heavy rains.