Nyeri: Farmers in Nyeri have been advised to follow the recently released October weather forecast and refrain from rushing to plant their crops before conditions stabilize. County Director for Meteorological Services John Muiruri has highlighted that the ongoing downpour currently being experienced in the county and other parts of the country is temporary and not ideal for planting.
According to Kenya News Agency, Muiruri stated that farmers should continue with land preparations until the third week, when the October-November-December rains are expected to commence. He emphasized that the short rains are not expected until the third or fourth week of this month, advising farmers to exercise patience and avoid rushing to plant, as the current conditions cannot sustain seed germination. “For us to declare the onset of a rainy season, there must be at least four consecutive days with rainfall measuring up to 20 millimetres,” he informed.
Last week, the Kenya Meteorological Department announced the much-awaited October-November-December rains would fall anywhere between the third and fourth week of this month. This prediction is based on models developed from the evolution of global sea surface temperatures (SSTs) with the La Ni±a phenomenon, which favored developing rain between October and December with a 71 percent probability. The La Ni±a drive is often associated with below-average rainfall.
The report also indicated that the onset of the seasonal rains is projected to occur between the third and fourth week of November over the Southern lowlands and Coastal regions. However, occasional rainfall is expected in October, particularly over the Coastal strip and isolated areas in the Southeastern lowlands. Over the central parts of the country, including Nairobi, the onset is expected between the third and fourth week of October.
For the western part of the country, rainfall is expected to continue, while the onset over the northern sector remains uncertain. Temperatures for October are expected to be warmer than average across several parts of the country, apart from the western half, where near to cooler-than-average conditions are expected.
Regions bordering the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Basin, the Central Rift Valley, the Northwest, and most parts of the Highlands East of the Rift Valley are expected to receive near to above-average rainfall. The outlook for October 2025 indicates that these areas, including Nairobi County, are likely to experience near to above-average rainfall. In contrast, most of the Southeastern lowlands, the southern coast, a few areas of the Highlands east of the Rift Valley, and isolated areas of the Northeast and much of the Coastal region are expected to receive near to below-average rainfall.
Counties such as Nyeri, Murang’a, Embu, Meru, Nairobi, Kiambu, Tharaka Nithi, and parts of Laikipia are expected to receive rains near to above the long-term average for the month. The expected near to above-average rainfall in the highlands west of the Rift Valley, Central and North Rift Valley will provide sufficient humidity to sustain agricultural production. However, these rains may disrupt the harvesting of crops still in the farms.
Residents in regions expecting sufficient rains during this season have been advised to take advantage of the downpour by planting trees and conducting environmental conservation measures. The expected rainfall over the highlands west of the Rift Valley, the Lake Basin, and the Central Rift Valley is likely to maintain conducive soil moisture for tree growth. The public is encouraged to plant trees and adopt measures to conserve the environment, aligning with Kenya’s Mission 15B (Jaza Miti)-a presidential campaign launched to plant 15 billion trees and restore degraded landscapes by 2032.
The Jaza Miti initiative is a presidential directive in collaboration with Safaricom, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and other state ministries, aiming for an ambitious nationwide drive to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.
