- The Principal Secretary (PS) for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni notes the floods have disrupted health services, displaced people, damaged infrastructure, and increased the risk of disease outbreaks in several regions.
On March 12, 2026, the Ministry of Health convened a stakeholders’ consultative meeting in Nairobi to strengthen preparedness and response to the ongoing long rains and flooding affecting parts of the country.
The Principal Secretary (PS) for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni notes the floods have disrupted health services, displaced people, damaged infrastructure, and increased the risk of disease outbreaks in several regions.
Muthoni has announced that the Ministry has developed the Long Rains Flood Contingency Plan 2026, built on key pillars: health sector coordination, disease surveillance and outbreak control, emergency search and rescue, laboratory support, emergency relief, and resource mobilization.
She has emphasized that a coordinated health sector approach is critical to protecting lives and ensuring continuity of essential services.
The consultative meeting brought together representatives from national and county governments, humanitarian partners, and key stakeholders to review the evolving situation and strengthen joint action.
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“We appreciate the support and collaboration of partners, including the Kenya Red Cross Society, the World Health Organization, and UNDP, who have played an important role in strengthening preparedness efforts,” Muthoni said.
She added that the Ministry remains committed to working closely with county governments and partners to safeguard public health and deliver timely, effective responses.
The urgency of the meeting followed a March 9, 2026 update from the Kenya Meteorological Department, which announced a shift in rainfall outlook for March 10–16.
The department warned that while precipitation would reduce in coverage and intensity across much of the country, isolated heavy rainfall events could still occur in Western Kenya, the Central Highlands (including Nairobi), Lake Victoria Basin, Rift Valley, South Eastern Lowlands, and the South Coast.
Daytime temperatures above 30°C are expected along the Coast, South Eastern Lowlands, North‑eastern, and North‑western Kenya, while night‑time temperatures will dip below 10°C in the Central Highlands, Central Rift Valley, and around Mt. Kilimanjaro.
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