Editor's Review

The president surprised the CSs with the emergency meeting in a presser on Saturday.

President William Ruto is slated to chair an impromptu Cabinet meeting on Monday, November 27. 

The agenda of the meeting would be the after-effects of the prevalent El Nino rains which have wreaked havoc in parts of the country leading to deaths and displacement of people, among other inconveniences. 

He noted that 70 people had died across the country due to the floods occasioned by the rains and about 36,160 households displaced.

With the foregoing, the president implied it would be prudent for elaborate measures to be laid down to mitigate the tragedies; thus the Cabinet meeting.  

"Taking into account the situation in the country, the Cabinet will meet to deliberate on the various recommendations made to ensure the country is better prepared for the management of the situation unfolding currently," said Ruto.

The president was addressing the nation from State House, Nairobi, on Saturday, November 25. 

President William Ruto chairing a previous Cabinet Meeting.

The president further sanctioned a multi-agency approach to assess and arrest the situation currently affecting Kenyans.

The Kenya Defence Forces and state disaster management agencies under the leadership of the relevant government Ministries were called to action. 

"Immediately the National Disaster Operation Centre has been rolled into place and senior government officials would move there including those from the various agencies, the military and Council of Governors (CoG) and all relevant Ministries to coordinate all the information and receive reports from the parts of the country for adequate intervention," he said. 

He said medicine and food would be airlifted to the affected areas with the help of the Kenya Defence Forces.

In Makueni, eight were killed in floods in the face of the heavy rains.

They were part of a larger group returning home after a meeting with First Lady Rachel Ruto in Kasarani, Nairobi on Thursday.

The group is said to have attempted to cross Muooni River in Makueni County when they were carried away.

Several people had been unable to cross the river owing to heavy rains.

Officials said the group could have perished in the floods even as they trace their whereabouts.

Kenya Red Cross Makueni County coordinator Evans Peter said they have deployed its rescue team to follow up on the matter.