Nairobi, Kenya | September 18, 2026 — The Right to Food Coalition has called on the national and county governments to urgently translate El Niño preparedness plans and allocated funds into visible action, warning that delays could deepen food insecurity and widen inequality among vulnerable communities.
Speaking on Friday, September 18, during a press briefing at the offices of The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA), the coalition, led by Diana Gichengo, Executive Director of TISA, alongside coalition members Gillian Apondi, Lisa Acheing, Christian Schniepper, Executive Director of Welthungerhilfe (WHH), and Mark Gachagua, warned that Kenya has only days to prepare for the expected onset of heavy rains.
The coalition urged the government to move swiftly from planning to implementation to protect vulnerable communities from the anticipated impacts of the rains.
“El Niño is coming. Kenya has been warned. The Kenya Meteorological Department puts the chance of a very strong El Niño at 81 percent, with rains expected from mid-October and potentially continuing into January 2027. We are now only days away from October. This is no longer a question of whether the government has enough time to prepare. The time to prepare is now,” Diana Gichengo said.
The Kenya Meteorological Department has projected above-average rainfall across most parts of the country during the October-December 2026 season, with strong El Niño conditions identified as a factor that could intensify rainfall.
Coalition Acknowledges Government Preparedness Measures
The coalition acknowledged that the Government of Kenya has moved beyond warnings and established a national preparedness framework involving national and county agencies, humanitarian partners and security actors.
According to the coalition, the preparations include mapping flood and landslide hotspots, clearing drainage systems and culverts, creating awareness on evacuation, identifying temporary holding grounds, monitoring rivers and dams, inspecting critical infrastructure, strengthening community and last-mile warning systems, pre-positioning relief supplies and placing emergency teams on standby.
The coalition also noted that all 47 counties have been directed to map high-risk areas and identify safer evacuation grounds.
It said the National Treasury had reported KSh7.1 billion in locally led climate-resilience grants to 43 counties, within KSh11.7 billion in county-level climate-resilience financing for the 2025/26 financial year.
However, the coalition warned that the anticipated rains could affect far more than food production, with flooding potentially disrupting markets, transport, healthcare, water and sanitation services, livelihoods and education.
It cited previous disasters as evidence of the potential cost of delayed action, saying floods in 2024 killed 315 people, displaced 410,000 and caused an estimated KSh187 billion in damage.
The coalition said flooded farms, livestock losses, damaged markets and blocked roads could reduce food availability and push up food prices.It further warned that disruptions to schools, employment and public services could affect access to education, livelihoods, social security and an adequate standard of living.
The coalition also warned that women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, pastoralists, small-scale producers and residents of informal settlements face heightened risks.It called for inclusive preparedness measures, equal access to essential services and meaningful community participation in evacuation and recovery decisions.
Nairobi Flood Preparedness Under Spotlight
The coalition singled out Nairobi as an example of why implementation and accountability will be critical as the rains approach.It said the city has 227 mapped flood hotspots and has committed KSh2.4 billion to flood resilience, including KSh2 billion for drainage works targeting 19 roads.
The coalition, however, raised concerns about the pace of implementation, saying that as of late August, the works were still at an advanced tendering stage, with contractors expected to commence only weeks before the rains.
The Right to Food Coalition said the effectiveness of the government’s response should be measured not only by the amount of money allocated but also by what the resources deliver on the ground.
“The problem is not simply the size of the budget. The problem is what happens between allocation and action,” Mark Gachagua said.
“Money allocated but not released is not preparedness. Money released but sitting in accounts is not preparedness. Money spent on processes while vulnerable communities remain exposed is not preparedness. And money that cannot be accounted for after disaster strikes is not resilience,” he added.
The coalition called for resources already available to be released, coordinated and used transparently rather than waiting for disasters to occur.
Coalition Calls for Faster Action and Accountability
The Right to Food Coalition called for weekly public updates on El Niño preparedness, covering funds, mitigation works, evacuation plans and emergency supplies, while urging authorities to link early warnings to timely action.
The coalition also urged the Ministry of Health and county governments to prepare for flood-related diseases by strengthening disease surveillance, pre-positioning essential supplies and ensuring continuity of critical health and nutrition services.
“The Ministry of Health, working with county governments, must prepare for increased risks of waterborne and other flood-related diseases by strengthening disease surveillance, pre-positioning essential medicines and water-treatment supplies, preparing facilities in flood-prone areas, and providing clear and accessible public guidance on safe water, food hygiene and sanitation,” the coalition said.
It also called for an inclusive coordination mechanism bringing together government agencies, civil society organisations and affected communities to share plans, identify gaps and strengthen preparedness.
The coalition stressed that “affected communities should not merely receive warnings but should participate in shaping preparedness and response measures.”