Former Interior Cabinet Secretary and Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Dr. Fred Matiang’i has thrown down the gauntlet to President William Ruto’s administration, demanding full disclosure and concrete evidence that Kenya is genuinely prepared for the anticipated El Niño rains.
Speaking via an official statement on Wednesday night, Matiang’i dismissed the state’s preliminary announcements, warning that administrative press briefings will not shield vulnerable communities from imminent devastation.
“El Niño is coming. A press statement is not a preparedness plan. Kenya has been here before in 1997 and again in 2023. The warnings came early, yet action came too late… Lives are at stake. We cannot afford another cycle of warnings, delayed action, and preventable loss.”
The national government must immediately release tailored operational plans for all 46 identified flood-risk counties.
Complete disclosure of the actual budget allocated exclusively for El Niño emergency preparedness and mitigation.
Immediate deployment of rescue boats, emergency food, and medical supplies to high-risk zones before key access roads are rendered impassable.
Allowing non-state actors to independently audit government readiness on the ground, rather than relying on official pledges.
Matiang’i stated that his team will actively monitor government delivery over the coming weeks and release an independent public assessment of the state’s actual preparedness before the heavy rains start.
