The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has been building an emergency medical team for this kind of crisis, a trained group that deploys during disasters to treat the sick and injured and keep essential care running. Photo Credit: WHO Regional Office for Africa
By Murimi Gitari, September 29, 2026, With El Niño rains forecast for October to December 2026, the Kenya Defence Forces is strengthening its emergency medical capacity to support national response efforts when local health services come under pressure.
Floods do more than damage homes. They block access to clinics, contaminate water, and push families into crowded camps where diseases such as cholera spread quickly. Kenya has already seen the cost this year. Flooding during the March to May long rains affected 27 counties, triggered landslides in Tharaka-Nithi, Elgeyo-Marakwet and Kiambu, and cut communities off from essential services. In May 122 deaths and more than 42,000 people were affected.
The Kenya Meteorological Department forecasts El Niño conditions and above-average rainfall across much of the country. A national assessment has identified 18 counties and 5,660 health facilities in at-risk areas, and rates overall flood preparedness at 54 per cent. Key structures are in place, but serious gaps remain.
Kenya is acting on several fronts. An El Niño Contingency Plan is in place, the Ministry of Health and the National Disaster Operations Centre have activated joint planning meetings, and counties are being supported to assess their own preparedness.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has been building an emergency medical team for this kind of crisis, a trained group that deploys during disasters to treat the sick and injured and keep essential care running. Thirty KDF health professionals completed induction training in 2024, and the team now has a leadership structure and written procedures.
Strengthening the team’s foundations
From 8 to 11 September 2026, the Kenya Defence Force health security team and WHO experts took that work further. They formed a core management team with clear leadership roles, developed standard operating procedures for clinical care, logistics, and water, sanitation and hygiene, and trained its first 30 team members.
Participants also reviewed the roadmap towards establishing a WHO-accredited Type 1 fixed Emergency Medical Team, which would provide medical care to large numbers of patients from a fixed location during emergencies. Once established, the team would serve as a national resource for large-scale emergency response.
Testing the response before the floods arrive
With these foundations in place, participants also conducted a tabletop exercise to identify potential gaps early. They worked through a scenario in which heavy rains caused flooding, forcing families from their homes, followed by a cholera outbreak in displacement camps.
At each stage, they discussed how the team would activate, coordinate with national and county health authorities, mobilise resources, deliver clinical, public health and sanitation services, and finally hand over and withdraw. The exercise exposed procedures that need amending and clarified who coordinates with whom, inside and outside KDF.
“As KDF, it is expected of us to be called upon when our time comes. If the systems are overwhelmed, we can be an important national asset. We are not working alone. We are part of a team,” said Director of Medical Services, Major General (Dr) Francis Kuria, the Chief of Clinical Support Services.
Participants closed the week by developing an El Niño preparedness and response plan. This sets out the scenarios Kenya could face and the priority actions the team would take to respond to flooding and the health emergencies that follow.
Working as one system
Emergencies of this scale demand a whole of government response. The exercise clarified how the team would work with the Ministry of Health, county authorities and other agencies.
“Preparedness is about testing systems before they are needed. Exercises like this help us work through scenarios and address gaps before an emergency occurs. WHO will continue working with KDF and its partners ahead of the El Niño season and beyond,” said Dr Martins Livinus, Team Lead for Emergency Preparedness and Response, WHO Kenya.
