The Meteorological Department of Kiambu County has foreseen that the county will experience increased rainfall over the next four days.
County Director of Meteorological Services Magdalene Gateri said isolated heavy rains are expected from Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, January 8, 2024.
Giving a weekly forecast valid from the 2nd of January to Monday, the 8th of January, Gateri noted that occasional cloudiness with rainfall is expected over the weekend.
Heavy rains are being experienced in areas of Kiamworia, Kigajo ward in Gatundu South, Kagwe area and Githunguri areas.
The director called upon residents to make maximum use of the rain by harvesting rainwater.
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry weather outlook for January 2024 indicates that Highlands East of the Rift Valley and Central Kenya which includes Kiambu are likely to experience occasional rainfall with some breaks during the month.
The rainfall is likely to be near to above the long-term average amounts received during the same
month in other years.
During the just-ended October-November-December Seasonal Rainfall, Kiambu was among the counties that were affected by landslides and mudslides.
Several houses were destroyed by a mudslide in Site village and two people were also killed in Riara village after a mudslide buried their house
Bernard Chanzu on behalf of the Director of Kenya Meteorological Department, named the potential impacts likely to be experienced this month in areas of agriculture and food security, water resources, and the environment sectors.
‘The sunny and dry weather conditions to be experienced in the next three months will be favorable for crop harvesting as well as land preparations in readiness for the coming planting season in the agricultural areas, and the public is encouraged to seek guidance from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development,’ he said.
He added that the rains expected at the beginning of January in the southern half of the country will sustain water availability, and thus the
public is encouraged to adopt rainwater harvesting and storage practices.
‘The increased inflow into hydropower reservoirs is expected to boost hydropower generation and contribute to groundwater recharge for geothermal power production,’ he said.
Chanzu noted that water availability for both human and livestock use is expected to decline further, especially in the ASAL areas, as a result of the dry weather conditions.
Four days ago, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC) said the greater part of the Horn of Africa is expected to receive heavy rains between January and March 2024, with the weather pattern following recent El Nino rains.
Source: Kenya News Agency
OSHAKATI: The Inspector-General of the Namibian Police Force (NamPol), Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, has said his goal is for the Oshana Region to be a crime-free region with no open investigations.
Shikongo said this whilst addressing members of the community at Oshakati on Wednesday.
The inspector-general is in the region on a working visit from Wednesday to Friday, during which he will engage members of the community and the business community, as well as NamPol staff.
Shikongo said peace must be preserved at all costs, therefore in addition to protecting both domestic residents and foreign visitors, officers should ensure that there is no crime and that the region is safe.
‘If the community is not doing anything to fight crime, it becomes difficult for the police to do so. Let us join hands and work together to combat crime in unity,’ he said.
Oshana Regional Commander Naftal Lungameni Sakaria indicated that if the vision of a crime-free region is to be realised, efforts by all stakeholders to
combat crime should be combined.
According to Sakaria, the police made a significant dent in crime in the region through their ‘boots on the ground’ initiative.
He said robberies after people withdraw money from commercial banks have for instance become a thing of the past, while housebreaking incidents have also decreased.
‘Despite our success, we still have challenges of mobility. The procurement process also takes forever and we have a lack of manpower as many police officers are aging,’ he said.
He added that they are also challenged by a lack of police facilities in the region, which leads to congestion at the available police stations. Another issue is that police cells are overcrowded.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency