The Ministry of Health has urged households, food traders and communities to prepare before the short rains intensify, warning that flooding and high humidity could contaminate water, damage stored grain, and interrupt refrigeration.
KENYA — Kenya’s Ministry of Health has issued a preventive food-safety advisory ahead of anticipated El Niño-enhanced rains, identifying contaminated water, mould growth, disrupted refrigeration and flooded markets as key public-health concerns.
The advisory, issued on 28 September by Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni Muriuki, calls on households, food businesses and communities to take precautions before heavy rainfall begins in their areas.
It does not report a current foodborne disease outbreak or contamination incident. Instead, it warns that conditions associated with heavy rainfall could increase exposure to cholera, typhoid, and aflatoxin poisoning.
Four food-safety risks identified
Floodwater could mix with sewage and contaminate shallow wells, boreholes and piped water supplies, particularly in low-lying areas, according to the advisory.
High humidity could also encourage mould growth on maize, groundnuts and animal feed, increasing the risk of aflatoxin contamination. Power interruptions may compromise refrigeration and contribute to the spoilage of milk, meat and cooked food.
In markets, flooding could expose fresh produce and other food products to contaminated water, mud and flies.
The warning comes as the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority forecasts above-average rainfall across most of the country during the October to December 2026 short-rains season. Heavy rainfall events are considered likely in several counties.
The Authority’s seasonal outlook also identifies high-moisture contamination and post-harvest losses as potential agricultural impacts. It recommends stronger surveillance of grain reserves and trading markets for aflatoxin, alongside water-quality monitoring and household water treatment.
Rainfall onset will vary. Rains were expected to continue from September in parts of western Kenya, while Nairobi and several central counties could experience onset during the second or third week of October. Southeastern counties are expected to receive their onset later in the month.
What households and food businesses should do
Households have been advised to:
- Treat drinking water using approved household water-treatment products
- Clean and cover water tanks and jerrycans
- Keep drinking water in a separate, clean and covered container
- Ensure maize, beans, groundnuts and other dry foods are properly dried
- Store grain in airtight containers raised above the floor
- Sun-dry older cereal stocks before the rains intensify
- Maintain adequate handwashing supplies
Food businesses and market traders have been asked to keep food covered and raised above the ground, improve drainage around their stalls and ensure food handlers’ medical certificates are current.
The Ministry said county inspections would increase during the rainy period, although it did not provide inspection dates, priority counties or details of how the exercise will be coordinated.
Community Health Promoters and Nyumba Kumi representatives have also been urged to organise drainage clean-ups, unblock trenches and sensitise residents on boiling or treating drinking water.
Preparedness will require more than household action
The advisory gives households and small food traders practical steps, but several implementation questions remain.
The Ministry has not disclosed whether counties have received operational instructions for enhanced food inspections, which markets and water sources will receive priority attention, or whether aflatoxin and water-testing results will be publicly reported.
For food processors, retailers and hospitality businesses, the warning also raises immediate questions about backup power, emergency water supplies, drainage, dry-storage controls and procedures for handling products exposed to flooding.
The effectiveness of the advisory will ultimately depend on whether public warnings are supported by county inspections, laboratory surveillance and timely reporting as the rains progress.