NAIROBI, Kenya- The Kenya Coast Guard Service is positioning rescue teams and equipment along lakes, rivers and vulnerable coastal areas as the country prepares for the October to December rains.
The service has established a Maritime Disaster Response Joint Operations Centre at its headquarters in Mombasa.
It will monitor conditions around the clock and share information with the National Disaster Operations Centre and the Kenya Meteorological Department to guide deployments.
The preparations extend well beyond the coastline.
Along the coast, the Coast Guard has identified the Tana River Delta and Garsen, the Lamu Archipelago, and Vanga and Shimoni in Kwale County as priority areas.
In Mombasa, Tudor and Port Reitz creeks are on the watch list, alongside Kilifi Creek and the Sabaki River mouth.
Inland, teams are preparing for possible flooding around the Lake Victoria Basin, including Kisumu, Homa Bay and Budalangi.
Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, Lake Naivasha, the Turkwel River and Lake Turkana are also among the areas where the service plans to maintain readiness.
The Kenya Meteorological Department’s October to December forecast is available as the short rains season gets underway, while government agencies have been placed on standby for possible weather-related emergencies.
The Coast Guard says it is inspecting and servicing patrol boats, inflatable rescue craft and life-saving equipment.
Rescue vessels and teams are being positioned in high-risk areas, with fuel, emergency rations, medical kits and communication equipment secured for sustained operations.
The service is also conducting joint flood-rescue drills at Diani Beach with the Kenya Navy, Kenya Wildlife Service and local divers.
The exercises are testing how teams coordinate search-and-rescue operations and whether personnel and equipment are ready for emergencies.
The Coast Guard said it has responded to more than 1,500 maritime emergencies since 2023, including 424 rescue cases this year.
During floods in Ahero and Nyakach in March and April, its officers evacuated 86 households, moved more than 200 livestock to safety and rescued more than 300 people.
The government has urged people living near rivers, lakes and the coastline to follow official weather and safety advisories and avoid unnecessary movement on or near hazardous waterways during severe weather.
