El Niño rains: Kenyans told to rely on verified government advisories

The Broadcasting Principal Secretary Stephen Isaboke has urged Kenyans to remain alert and rely on verified government advisories as the country prepares for the expected El Niño rains.

Speaking during a media briefing, the PS said there was no need for panic but warned that Kenyans should take early preparations seriously and remain attentive to official information.

“Our message is clear, there is no cause for panic but there is every reason to prepare early,” the PS said.

The PS urged Kenyans to follow advisories issued by government and technical agencies, particularly those specific to their counties and local communities.

“Remain alert and follow verified government advisories,” the PS said.

The government, Isaboke said, would prioritise timely dissemination of accurate information as agencies prepare for the expected weather phenomenon.

“We will ensure there is timely dissemination of verified information, clear and official communication going out,” the PS said.

The government will also bring together relevant ministries, agencies and other stakeholders to coordinate public messaging, counter misinformation and ensure consistency in communication.

“We will bring together relevant ministries and agencies and other stakeholders to coordinate public messaging, and address misinformation and strengthen consistency in government communication,” Isaboke said.

The PS warned Kenyans against relying on unverified information circulating on social media, urging them instead to seek updates from official government channels and technical agencies.

“We urge Kenyans to rely on information from official government and technical agencies and pay attention to advisories relevant to their counties and communities,” the PS said.

The PS said effective communication would be particularly important given the scale of the weather phenomenon expected in the country.

“In communication lingua and especially when a big thing is coming like the phenomena we are expecting, we are actually told to over communicate,” the PS said.

The PS encouraged Kenyans to share accurate information widely so that communities are not caught unaware, while cautioning against spreading fake news. 

The PS likened the government's communication approach to the Biblical story of Noah's Ark, saying authorities needed to raise the alarm early and ensure everyone was aware of the potential risks.

“It the Bible Noah’s Ark, shout, shout and let everybody be aware that there is going to be a big phenomena coming,” the PS said.

“It is coming, 90 per cent predicted.”

The PS said the government had therefore activated efforts to strengthen crisis communication ahead of the rains through the National Crisis Communication Committee.

“That is why we are here to ensure the National Crisis Communication Committee is working at operationalizing communication planning and protocols to guide public messaging,” the PS said.

The committee's communication strategy will focus on ensuring that Kenyans receive information that is accurate, timely, verified and actionable.

The objective of the communication is to ensure we have accurate, timely, verified and actionable information that reaches Kenyans,” the PS said.

The PS said the ultimate goal was to enable individuals and communities to make informed decisions and take appropriate action to protect lives and property.