Water service providers across the country have intensified preparations to cushion communities and critical water infrastructure from the anticipated impacts of strong El Niño rains, with authorities warning that extreme weather events could worsen flooding, damage water systems and increase the risk of waterborne diseases.
The Water Services Providers Association (WASPA) has called on utilities and relevant agencies to activate early warning systems, strengthen disaster preparedness plans and undertake urgent infrastructure assessments ahead of the expected heavy rains.
The measures include clearing blocked waterways, mapping flood-prone areas, reinforcing water infrastructure, protecting treatment facilities and ensuring communities receive timely safety alerts to reduce the impact of potential disasters.
Speaking during a meeting of water sector stakeholders, Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu and water company officials said changing climate patterns had forced the country to rethink how it manages water resources, noting that prolonged droughts, flooding, catchment degradation and rising demand were putting pressure on existing systems.
They said climate resilience could no longer be treated as an optional intervention but as a critical investment to secure the country’s water future.
“Climate change continues to redefine our operating environment. Prolonged droughts, floods, catchment degradation and increasing demand for water require us to think beyond conventional infrastructure,” stakeholders noted.
Stakeholders emphasised the need to protect water towers, restore degraded catchment areas, conserve riparian ecosystems and invest in climate-resilient infrastructure to safeguard water access during periods of extreme weather.
WASPA Chairman Thomas Ondongo, Nyahururu Water and Sanitation Company Managing Director Bernard Mwaura and WASPA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Njaramba said water utilities had moved from reactive disaster response to proactive risk management as the country prepares for the forecasted El Niño rains.
Njaramba urged water providers to conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their water and sanitation systems and update contingency plans to address possible disruptions.
He said extreme weather events could interfere with water supply infrastructure, damage treatment works, contaminate water sources, increase operational costs and expose communities to health risks.
“I therefore urge every Water Service Provider to undertake a comprehensive vulnerability assessment of its water and sanitation systems and to develop or update contingency and business continuity plans,” Njaramba said.
The plans, he added, should include emergency water supply measures, protection of critical infrastructure, safeguarding water quality and coordinated responses with county governments and other agencies.
Water companies have already begun implementing mitigation measures, including construction of gabions, strengthening of water pipes and reinforcing vulnerable sections of supply networks to withstand possible flooding.
The stakeholders said the focus is on ensuring continuity of water services even as the country faces increasingly unpredictable weather patterns linked to climate change.
They warned that flooding associated with El Niño rains could compromise water sources through contamination, making preparedness crucial in preventing outbreaks of waterborne illnesses.
The latest interventions come amid growing concerns among climate experts and authorities that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe, requiring stronger collaboration between national agencies, county governments, utilities and communities.
WASPA said sustained investment in climate adaptation, early warning systems and resilient infrastructure would be key in protecting Kenya’s water systems from future climate shocks.
