Meteorological Department needs new machines

The Kenya Meteorological Department Headquarters in Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The revelation by the Auditor General that Kenya Meteorological Department could be feeding Kenyans unreliable weather forecast information because it has been using obsolete technology is worrying.

The country's food security is largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture, and Kenyan farmers make critical decisions, such as when to start preparing for planting, based on the weatherman's reports.

The State, therefore, must fund Met adequately to enable it acquire modern equipment and technology that will enable the weatherman to be more accurate in its forecast, especially in this era when climate change has made the weather even more erratic.