There were early warnings that Kenya's long rain season - between March and May - was going to bring above-normal rainfall. The extreme intensity of the rain has resulted in devastating floods in many parts of the country. Forty of the country's 47 counties have been affected.
To enhance ongoing search and rescue operations during the flooding, the Kenya Red Cross had to deploy new rescue boats, particularly in high-risk flood areas. These boats pictured here are now actively supporting operations in Tana River and Kilifi Counties.
The effects of the flooding will have a massive impact on Kenya's economy. I'm a development economist with 20 years of experience in the field of development planning, policy implementation and research. I've also worked with the National Treasury and Economic Planning. Floods and a landslide on the railway route between the capital Nairobi and Mombasa forced Kenya Railways to close all cargo services. Nairobi satellite commuter train services were also suspended.
The destruction of infrastructure will have a major economic impact. Assessments from the last major flooding in 2018 show that the government had to allocate an extra US$120 million for repairs and maintenance of road infrastructure.Kenya's agriculture sector has also been hit hard. Agriculture is vital to the economy, accounting for about 33% of the country's GDP and employing 40% of the total workforce. It's a critical source of livelihood and income for millions of Kenyans.
The effect on food security will likely be felt much longer. Though Kenya has yet to estimate the effect of the flooding on food production, in Tanzania - which exports food to Kenya - there are estimates that the floods will cause a 30% decline in production this year. Food prices will likely stay high.Kenya's economy is still recovering from shocks that include high debt distress, global food inflation and exchange rate shock.
Overall, the current flooding will have long-term effects on the economy. The turnaround depends on the choices that policymakers make. A balance has to be maintained between reconstruction efforts and support to productive sectors of the economy, while offering support to those that have been affected.First, the disaster response of county governments must be strengthened. For instance, storm water drainage - blamed for much of the flooding in urban areas - is a county government function.
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