The Kenya Meteorological department (KMD) has projected that Western parts of the country are projected to have enhanced performance for crop and livestock production between March to May due to the long rainy season.
However, North and Central rift regions will have marginal decline in agricultural performance leading to decreased agricultural produce which is likely to affect the income and livelihoods for the farming communities.
While announcing the forecast for the long rain season at a Garissa hotel, KMD director Dr. David Gikungu called on the farmers to seek advice from the agricultural experts on what crops and varieties to grow for maximum yields.
“For those other areas that depend on rainfall water for farming, it is advisable to wait until the onset of the rains. We will still make the announcement on the official onset but we do not expect any changes on what we have projected,” he added.
The Lake Victoria Basin, Highlands West of the Rift Valley, and both the Central and South Rift Valley will receive the highest rainfall amounts, often exceeding 300mm in the March – May rain season.
The Highlands East of the Rift Valley which include Nairobi County and the Coastal Strip are also forecasted to receive significant rainfall, shaping the season’s impact across the country.
The onset of rains during this season is set to occur either in the 4th week of March or the first week of April, with the rains set to end in June in most parts of the country.
However, below average rainfall is expected in the northeastern and north coast regions with rain distribution ranging from poor to fair.
Warmer than average temperatures are expected over the whole country, with increased probabilities over the Central Kenya, Southeastern Lowlands, South Coast, and parts of Northeast.
By Erick Kyalo
