Move to Higher Ground- CS Eric Mugaa Issues Flood Alert To Tana River And Garissa Residents

Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa has advised residents living along the River Tana, particularly in Garissa and Tana River counties, to prepare for relocation to higher ground as projected heavy rainfall threatens to overflow major reservoirs.

Speaking on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the Cabinet Secretary cautioned that anticipated rainfall driven by El Niño conditions and the Indian Ocean Dipole could push national dams to their upper storage limits. He highlighted that the Seven Forks cascading dam system—comprising Masinga, Kaburu, Gitaru, Kindaruma, and Kiambere—is expected to discharge excess water via automated spillways should inflow rates match meteorologists’ projections.

Downstream Risk Factors

While reassuring the public that the dams are structurally designed to endure 25-to-100-year flood events, Mugaa explained that simultaneous releases across cascading dams inevitably swell the main river course. As water moves downstream toward flatter terrain in the lower Tana basin, natural river channels become insufficient to accommodate the surge, significantly heightening the risk of localized flooding for nearby communities, livestock, and farms.

Infrastructure and Long-Term Mitigation

In response to the recurring flood threat, the government is urging households in vulnerable low-lying areas to take early precautionary measures and move to safer zones. Looking toward long-term solutions, Mugaa emphasized the necessity of expanding Kenya’s national water-storage infrastructure to capture seasonal excess for use during dry spells. He indicated that the ministry is eyeing the National Infrastructure Fund to finance future mega-dam projects, noting that constructing a single large-scale reservoir typically requires between KSh 20 billion and KSh 40 billion.