REPUBLIC OF KENYA

REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM RUTO,

C.G.H.; PHD., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-
CHIEF OF THE KENYA DEFENCE FORCES, ON THE
FLOODING CRISIS

MAY 3RD, 2024

STATE HOUSE, NAIROBI

 REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM RUTO, C.G.H.; PHD., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE KENYA DEFENCE FORCES, ON THE
FLOODING CRISIS

Fellow citizens,

1. The weight of tragic events in recent weeks has tested our

nation's resilience in the wake of unprecedented challenges.
Persistent torrential rainfall has unleashed devastating floods,
which have claimed 210 lives as of today, caused injuries to
many more and wreaked havoc on property, infrastructure and
livelihoods.

2. No corner of our country has been spared from this havoc. The
re-opening date of our schools after the April holidays, which
was scheduled for Monday this week, had to be varied.
Transportation has become challenging in many parts of the
country due to flooded and damaged roads and bridges and the
threat of raging rivers and overflowing dams in downstream
regions.

3. Water volumes in the Seven Forks Hydro-Electric power dams

have hit historic highs, with Masinga and Kiambere dams already
spilling over through the managed spillways and threatening to
overflow into neighbouring settlements and causing devastation
downstream in Garissa and Tana River counties.

4. Sadly, we have not seen the last of this perilous period, as the
situation is expected to escalate. Meteorological reports paint a
dire picture: The rains will persist, increasing both in duration
and intensity for the rest of this month and possibly after.

5. The Kenya Meteorological Department and the IGAD Climate

Prediction Applications Centre, have issued a stark warning:
Kenya may face its first-ever cyclone.

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 REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM RUTO, C.G.H.; PHD., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE KENYA DEFENCE FORCES, ON THE
FLOODING CRISIS

This Cyclone, named Hidaya, that could hit anytime now is

predicted to cause torrential rain, strong winds and powerful and
dangerous waves, which could potentially disrupt marine
activities in the Indian Ocean and settlements along the Kenyan
coast.

6. Our country must act swiftly and decisively to mitigate the

devastating impacts of the present crisis and protect life and
property.

7. The loss of human life, displacement of people, and destruction

of property have been most profound within fragile ecosystems
on which the government has taken the following actions:

a) First, the government has mapped out 178 dams, and

water reservoirs situated within public and private land
in 33 counties, which are already full and present
imminent danger to adjacent settlements.

b) Second, areas prone to landslides and mudslides in

various counties have been identified as high-risk
areas from which the adjacent settlements have to be
evacuated.

c) Third, relocation notices have been issued to all

persons living in unplanned settlements within riparian
reserves along rivers, streams and other
watercourses.

8. Acknowledging the gravity of this unfolding situation, the

Cabinet has met three times over the last 10 days to provide
leadership on a whole of Government response to the crisis.

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REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM RUTO, C.G.H.; PHD., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE KENYA DEFENCE FORCES, ON THE
FLOODING CRISIS

a) To support disaster response and mitigation efforts

across the country, the Treasury has been directed to
provide adequate resources and work with other
development partners to provide for the purchase and
supply of food, medical and other non-food items.

b) County security committees are directed to determine on

a case-by-case basis the radius that shall constitute the
scope of the area subject to vacation or mandatory
evacuation orders.

c) The county security committees are further directed to

continuously monitor other dams or water reservoirs
across the country that may not be presenting a risk now
but could do so in the event of further precipitation.

d) The Kenya Defence Forces and the National Police

Service are directed to deploy resources, personnel and
equipment for carrying out coordinated public safety and
risk mitigation operations.

e) Security agencies are further directed to enlist the

support of the National Youth Service and work with
National Government Administration Officers to respond
to this emergency, including ensuring timely, orderly and
humane evacuation of all persons at risk.

f) Cabinet Secretaries will spearhead disaster response and

mitigation efforts across the country. To this end
Ministries, Departments and Agencies are directed to
work closely with the National Disaster Operations
Center and Security Agencies to ensure the whole of
government approach to the management of the
prevailing crisis.
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REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM RUTO, C.G.H.; PHD., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE KENYA DEFENCE FORCES, ON THE
FLOODING CRISIS

g) The Government, working with stakeholders, has put in

place adequate measures to provide temporary shelter
as well as food and nonfood essential supplies.

h) The Ministry responsible for Special Programs for is

directed to work with development partners and relevant
humanitarian organisations to mobilise adequate food
and non-food supplies to support the affected persons.

i) The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development,

through the National Cereals and Produce Board, is
directed to make available food supplies in government
stores to support this effort.

j) The Ministry of Health is directed to work with

development partners, including the WHO, AMREF, Red
Cross, UNHCR, WFP and other relevant humanitarian
organisations to mobilise resources and logistical
support to avail essential drugs and other medical
supplies.

k) The Ministry of Interior is directed to coordinate the

relocation and evacuation of the affected members of
the public, identification of sites for temporary shelter
for displaced persons and supervise the overall support
programs.

l) The Ministry of Education is directed to postpone the

dates of re-opening of all schools in the country for the
second term until further notice.

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 REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM RUTO, C.G.H.; PHD., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE KENYA DEFENCE FORCES, ON THE
FLOODING CRISIS

m) Members of Parliament are requested to re-organize

their CDF allocations to prioritise the reconstruction of
school infrastructure that has been damaged as a result
of the floods.

n) As the National Government plays its role in dealing with

the current situation, I request County Governments,
Development Partners and the Private Sector to join the
efforts.

o) In Nairobi, settlements in riparian reserves have

complicated the response efforts and compounded and
aggravated the risks to human life and safety. The
Ministry of Interior is hereby directed to enforce the re-
location notices issued earlier upon their expiry at 6:30
pm today.

p) We appreciate and thank members of the public who are

already cooperating with the Government on the
evacuation and relocation efforts underway.

Further, the Government appreciates the goodwill demonstrated by

thousands of individuals and institutional volunteers who have made
tremendous input into alleviating the suffering and pain of those
affected by the prevailing crisis.

In the same spirit, the public is called upon to respect and adhere to
safety alerts and interventions and to cease and desist from risking
their lives or the lives of others by daring the force of nature.
Kenyans must avoid endangering their lives by recklessly attempting
to cross flooded rivers or drive on waterlogged roads.

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 REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM RUTO, C.G.H.; PHD., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE KENYA DEFENCE FORCES, ON THE
FLOODING CRISIS

I extend my gratitude to the media for their commitment to

contribute airtime worth KSh100 million to support the response
to this crisis.

9. The measures we are taking at present are aimed at responding

to the current crisis in the immediate and short-term. For us to
conclusively address such threats in the long-term we have to
acknowledge and act to reverse the adverse effects of climate
change.

10. The current unprecedented crisis of floods that our country

faces, as well as the recent devastating drought our country
faced (the worst in 40 years, after five consecutive failed rainy
seasons), is a direct consequence of our failure to protect our
environment, resulting in the painful effects of climate change
we are witnessing today. Our country is poised to remain in this
cyclical crisis for a long time unless and until we confront the
existential threat of climate change.

11. Our climate action agenda is informed by the sad reality that our
country’s future remains under threat until we restore our
degraded ecosystems, including forests, rivers, and wetlands.

12. We must therefore remain committed to confronting this

existential challenge head-on. It is imperative for us to prioritise
environmental conservation efforts and implement aggressive
reforestation and wetland restoration programmes. Scientific
evidence indicates that restoring our natural habitats is our best
defence against escalating weather extremes.

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 REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM RUTO, C.G.H.; PHD., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE KENYA DEFENCE FORCES, ON THE
FLOODING CRISIS

13. To this end, I urge you, fellow citizens, to sustain and intensify
your positive response to the ecosystem restoration plan, which
aims to grow 15 billion trees nationwide within the next 10 years.

14. This year’s program on our climate action agenda will be made
public in the coming days.

15. The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry is

hereby directed to immediately expedite the implementation of
the ecosystem restoration programme and work with all
Ministries, Departments, Agencies and other stakeholders to
provide a whole Government programme.

16. In the face of daunting challenges, immense threats and

unprecedented hazards, our nation has never failed. The people
of Kenya always stand with one another and work together to
overcome adversity. We are called upon once again to join hands
in this critical juncture and support each other until this season
passes, and afterwards, in all endeavours to secure a sustainable
future for generations to come. Together, we will win the war
against climate change and build a resilient nation.

Thank You,
God Bless You,
God Bless Kenya.