The Kenya Meteorological Department has confirmed the heavy rainfall experienced in the country is El Nino.
Kenya Met had earlier predicted that El Nino would hit the country from mid-October to December.
However, President William Ruto said the country will not experience El Nino rains as earlier predicted.
Speaking to NTV, Kenya Met Director David Gikungu said the confusion that existed comes out of associating El Nino with rains.
He said El Nino is not always about rainfall but there are other factors which show El Nino.
“For parts of East Africa, when we have an El Nino event, it is associated with excess rainfall and is not always that way. We have other drivers which we monitor as signals. Yes, it is El Nino, today I have looked at the features and it is positive,” he said.
Gikungu said that Kenyans should be prepared for heavy rainfall until the season is over.
He, however, said that in between there will be breaks and a reduction of rainfall will be experienced in some parts.
“This season is something that happens every year, every year we have long and short rains. Sometimes we have a reversal of the systems that drive the rains, and therefore a serious reduction called Lanina,” he said.
“Sometimes we have another reversal that brings in excessive rain, the term El Nino doesn’t always mean rains, when we have an El Nino event, it means excessive rainfall in some places and drought in others.”
The last four days have seen heavy rains pound North Eatern causing River Tana and River Dauwa in Garissa and Mandera counties to burst their banks.
Mandera North and Mandera East remain the most affected following the heavy rains.
The floods have left a trail of destruction, deaths and displacement of people.
Several roads have also been rendered impassable and farmlands destroyed.
