KISUMU, 8th Oct 2026 -The government has intensified flood mitigation measures in the Lake Basin region ahead of anticipated El Niño rains, with the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) constructing dikes to protect communities and farmland in flood-prone areas.
Speaking during a visit to LBDA facilities in Kisumu on Thursday, Dr Caroline Karugu, Principal Secretary for East African Community Affairs and Regional Development, announced plans to break ground on additional flood control infrastructure.
“I will be back in two weeks to do another ground-breaking for the extra three kilometres of dikes around the Nyando area to ensure that flooding does not affect the livelihoods and also does not affect the harvests,” Dr Karugu said.
LBDA Managing Director Wycliffe Ochiaga clarified that besides Kisumu the new phase covers multiple counties.
The three kilometres is for Nyando, three kilometres for Muhoroni and also three kilometres for Homa Bay County around Nyakwere areas and Miriu,” he said, bringing the total to nine kilometres.
Dr Karugu emphasised collaboration between national and county governments in sensitising residents and outlining early warning signs.
“We are working jointly with county governments to ensure we sensitise our people our chiefs and county commissioners so that we can map out areas likely to face severe flooding.”
The PS also highlighted LBDA’s rice milling success that has impacted the lives of rice farmers in the Lake region.
“Last year alone we paid over 300 million shillings to rice farmers of the Lake Basin region. We have processed over 4,800 metric tons of rice,” she said, assuring farmers holding paddies that the government is addressing absorption.
The regional development PS further announced that LBDA would donate over 20,000 fruit seedlings through county commissioners’ offices, aligning with President Ruto’s tree-growing directive.
Echoing her sentiments, Ochiaga revealed that the authority will mark this year’s Mazingira Day on October 10 by distributing fruit seedlings to farmers, a shift from conventional tree planting.
“We are taking a different approach in the tree planting initiative by providing fruit seedlings to farmers so that we also address the issue of food insecurity,” stated Ochiaga.
She also unveiled a poultry centre of excellence housing over 10,000 birds and producing at least 100 trays of eggs daily.
“We are in touch with three youth groups from Kisumu County who are helping us with brooding, and we do the uptake into finishing and egg production.”
Dr Karugu reaffirmed LBDA’s community-centred mandate that seeks to prioritize and create direct impact to communities through modernized farming approaches.
