By Antynet Ford

Farmers who put in early drainage are managing to save crops as weeks of heavy rains flood fields and destroy harvests countrywide . The downpours have caused waterlogging, blight, and root rot across the Rift Valley, Western Kenya, and Central Highlands.

Kiambu farmer Wanja Mwaura has escaped the devastation, so far, by digging trenches. “Last year, my greenhouse got flooded and all the crops succumbed due to the water log from the heavy rainfall. This year, I dug trenches and I am well prepared and as of now, have not experienced any loss,” she said.

She is one of many farmers adding makeshift drainage, with contour trenches, raised beds, and cleared waterways to allow runoff. Some are also using mulching and shallow furrows to drain water from plant roots but retain enough soil moisture. 

However, the situation is still deteriorating.. 

Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water have been deployed in affected counties to assess damage and coordinate recovery. But the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) has warned of heavy rain across most of the country for the rest of the October–November–December season, worsening flooding and disease outbreaks. 

In Elgeyo Marakwet, landslides have swept away irrigation systems and farmland. While in Nakuru County, tomato and vegetable farmer Duncan Karanja’s fields have been destroyed by waterlogging.

“I have a lot of stress for my tomato: the flooding of the farm leading to water log. Tomato does not need a lot of rains. One minute, I am anticipating good harvest the other minute, I am counting losses,” he said. “If the rain continues even more, they’ll all have blight with root rot too.”

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Karanja is now spending heavily on pesticides to protect what remains of his crop, predicting thst tomato prices are likely to rise rapidly. “The rain is good for my vegetables, but the tomato is suffering. For tomatoes being affected by rains, even customers get affected as the quality is never really good,” he said.

Kenya Met has advised farmers to harvest early where possible, improve drainage, and store produce properly to minimize losses.

“Farmers are encouraged to manage water efficiently and plan for possible interruptions in harvesting,” said.Acting Director of Meteorological Services Edward Muriuki.