Massive damage to key infrastructure and croplands means the effects of Kenya’s devastating floods will be felt for a long time.
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. More than 230 people have died and about 40,000 households, so far, have been displaced.
I’m particularly concerned about these things: damage done to transport infrastructure, which will affect the prices for goods and services; destruction of crops, which will affect food security; and business losses, which will affect household incomes and consumer purchasing power. The road disruptions will immediately raise the cost of transport as goods will go via longer routes. This will have an effect on businesses in the transport, wholesale and retail sectors.
About 40,000 acres of cropland has already been reported to have been destroyed. In the 2018 floods, it was estimated that about 21,000 acres of crops were destroyed and that was a threat to food security. The impact of the floods on Kenya’s agriculture was substantial, with estimates suggesting billions of Kenyan shillings in crop damage and lost production. Additionally, the floods triggered landslides and soil erosion.
To cater for emergency response to the flooding situation, the government has forwarded a supplementary budget of Ksh11 billion to the National Assembly for approval. This will likely all be spent to provide direct support to households, resettle displaced households and reconstruct infrastructure such as schools and health facilities.
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