Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has stepped up preparations to protect schools and keep national examinations running as Kenya braces for expected El Niño rains between October and December 2026.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Ogamba on Wednesday, September 16, chaired a multi-agency preparedness meeting bringing together Ministry of Education field officers, Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), Kenya Meteorological Service Authority (KMSA) and the National Disaster Management Unit.

The meeting focused on coordinating early warning, emergency response and contingency measures to protect learners, teachers and education personnel during the rainy season.

A key priority is ensuring national examinations and assessments continue even in areas affected by flooding, damaged roads or other disruptions caused by heavy rainfall.

📌 What You Need to Know

Ogamba is also working to protect school infrastructure and property from possible damage, while directing efforts towards minimising interruptions to learning and keeping the academic calendar on track.

The latest preparations build on an earlier engagement with the Kenya Red Cross Society, after Ogamba met Secretary General Dr Ahmed Idris in August to discuss emergency measures for schools ahead of the anticipated El Niño conditions.

“Through this collaboration, we are strengthening our ability to respond to emergencies, particularly in areas where flooding and other weather-related disasters could affect access to schools and examination centres,” Ogamba said.

KMSA has warned that El Niño conditions could influence weather patterns across Kenya during the final months of 2026, with the October-November-December period expected to receive increased rainfall.

In its June outlook, KMSA said global climate models indicated an 80 to 82 per cent likelihood of El Niño developing during June-August, while the probability of the phenomenon persisting through the end of 2026 was estimated at 90–96 per cent.

The weather agency said the event could be moderate and possibly strong, raising the risk of flooding, infrastructure damage and transport disruptions in some parts of the country.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke