NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 11 – Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has challenged the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) to provide accurate weather forecasts at all times.
The Cabinet Secretary said weather information is critical to the Kenya’s overall wellbeing in the wake of the worsening global climate change crisis.
While recalling some of KMD’s high publicized recent weather forecasts, CS Duale told the institution to make ensure the predictions are timely and verifiable to enable all sectors of the Kenyan economy to make informed decisions.
“This institution is critical. Not only to Kenya but to the entire world. Aviation experts depend on your information. The Ministry of Agriculture use your information to plan Kenya’s food security,” Duale said.
He congrulated KMD for modernizing its equipment and technology, noting that recent near accurate weather predictions had raised public confidence in the institution.
The Cabinet Secretary, who spoke today during a familiarisation visit of KMD’s Dagoretti Corner headquarters in Nairobi County, assured the institution of his full support.
He said KMD was at the core of Kenya’s climate action agenda and committed to lobby for increased financial support for the institution from both the Government and the development partners.
Duale said accurate forecasts were critical in the management of the severity of the worsening weather extremes such as the cyclic climate change induced flooding and drought episodes facing the country.
The Cabinet Secretary, who toured some of KMD’s equipment and spoke to staff, encouraged the institution to leverage new technologies to ensure wider dissemination of its regular weather forecasts.
On the ongoing legislative process to transform the institution into a semi-autonomous state entity, Hon. Duale said he will see to it that the Meteorogical Bill currently before parliament will be passed.
Hon. Duale was accompanied on the visit by Environment and Climate Change Principal Secretary Dr. Eng. Festus Ng’eno and several senior Ministry officials led by Secretary for Administration Mr. John Elungata.
KMD is a department of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry with the broad mandate of providing timely weather and climate information for safety of life, protection of property, and conservation of the natural environment.
