The county of Nakuru has embarked on the improvement of drainage systems in anticipation of the El-Nino rains announced by the metrological department.
Nakuru county Metrological Officer Julius Kilemba clarified today to KNA that El-Niño doesn’t have a relationship with heavy rainfall since in the past the country has had El-Nino years with little rainfall and heavy rainfall.
However, he explained that the El-Niño that contributes to heavy rainfall in the country is due to Positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and this time there’s a very high possibility of overwhelming or above-average rainfall.
He urged farmers to consider planting short-term crops such as beans and pasture in order to make a positive impact from the rains and enhance food security in the country.
Meanwhile, the county engineer Michael Kamau assured the residents of Kaptembwo informal settlement area of faster rehabilitation of the drainage systems in the area to avoid flooding.
He noted that the key component of the construction and rehabilitation of the drainage is the addition of a 100-meter line along Kasisi church, which will effectively reduce the risk of water overflow by installing 16-meter culverts, and 70-meter cover slabs.
An elder oin the area Naftali Obiri commended the county officials for early preparations, unlike in the past when, promises of improving drainage systems were made after people had suffered and lost their properties to the floods.
Unlike other informal settlements the residents of Kaptembwo have turned their area into a marvelous estate where collection of garbage is taken seriously, and littering is frowned upon.
Part of the reasons for the positive effect is attributable to the majority of residents being homeowners and retirees, who have no intention of relocating to their ancestral home.
By Veronica Bosibori
