“Where Is the Rain? We Are on October, Yet We Are Still Waiting” — Ruto Questions El Niño Prediction

President William Ruto has questioned the timing of the much-anticipated El Niño rains as Kenyans continue waiting for heavier rainfall in different parts of the country.

Ruto raised the issue while speaking at a recent public event, recalling earlier predictions that the rains would arrive in August and later in September.

“They told us it would come in August, then said it would come in September; now we are on October 8, yet we are still waiting,” Ruto said.

His remarks come as the country enters the October-December rainfall season, with farmers and other Kenyans closely watching the weather.

However, the Kenya Meteorological Service has explained that the onset of the rains will not be the same across the country. Some areas have already recorded rainfall, while others are expected to receive the rains later in October.

According to the latest forecasts, parts of Western Kenya, the Rift Valley and the Coast have already experienced rainfall. Other areas are expected to receive the rains at different times during the month.

The Kenya Meteorological Service had earlier indicated that some regions, including parts of Central Kenya, Nairobi and neighbouring counties, could see the onset between the second and third weeks of October.

Meteorologists have also cautioned that El Niño should not simply be understood as continuous rainfall. The phenomenon affects weather patterns differently depending on the region and other climate factors.

On Thursday, October 8, the World Meteorological Organization said the current El Niño event is expected to intensify and could continue until February 2027.

The latest developments have kept attention on Kenya’s weather forecasts, with farmers and communities waiting to see how the predicted rains will unfold.

For now, the question remains whether the heavier rains expected in the coming weeks will arrive as forecast, as Kenyans continue watching the skies.

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