The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) will pilot an Early Warning System at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), in collaboration with Haskoning Engineering and the Government of the Netherlands, as part of measures to strengthen preparedness for the anticipated El Niño rains.
At a stakeholder engagement at JKIA on September 25, the authority explained that the system will improve flood preparedness, situational awareness, weather forecast interpretation, and operational planning at the country’s main international airport.
“KAA is also collaborating with Haskoning Engineering through the Government of the Netherlands to pilot Early Warning Systems that enhance flood preparedness, situational awareness, weather forecast interpretation, and operational planning,” the authority noted.
The engagement was led by KAA MD/CEO Mr. Moses Wekesa alongside GM, Projects and Engineering, Eng. Meshack Ochieng and JKIA Airport Manager, Dr. Rose Koros, bringing together airport stakeholders and other partners.
KAA Details JKIA Preparedness Measures
According to KAA, to prepare for El Niño, the authority will inspect and clear the airport’s drainage systems.
In collaboration with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Nairobi City County Government, and other stakeholders, the authority will also rehabilitate damaged drainage channels.
Additionally, it will inspect critical airport facilities and test emergency vehicles, equipment, and communication systems ahead of the rainy period.
KAA will also review access routes around JKIA and conduct full-load blackout tests as part of its contingency preparations.
Further, the authority will also activate contingency plans and position emergency equipment, including water pumps, in identified vulnerable areas.
Also Read: Govt Names County at Highest Risk as El Niño Rains Approach
About Haskoning Engineering
Haskoning is a Netherlands-based international consulting engineering company working across the natural and built environment.
The company was established in 1881 by engineers Johan van Hasselt and Jacobus de Koning and provides consultancy and engineering services in areas including water, infrastructure, mobility, aviation, climate resilience and environmental management.
A second engineering firm was founded in 1917 by civil engineers Dwars, Heederik and Verhey, and in 2012 the two firms joined forces to form Royal HaskoningDHV.
In 2025, the company adopted the shorter name Haskoning, with head offices in the Netherlands and other offices in more than 25 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas.
According to Haskoning, it has more than 6,800 professionals working across more than 25 countries.
The company has particular expertise in flood forecasting and early warning systems. Its early warning work includes systems that combine rainfall data, weather forecasts, water-level information, and modeling to provide warnings and support decisions ahead of potential flooding.
Haskoning is led by Chief Executive Officer Marije Hulshof, who heads the company’s Executive Board alongside Chief Financial Officer Jasper de Wit and Chief Commercial Officer Erik Oostwegel.
René de Roos serves as Global Director for Mobility and Infrastructure, while Jon Robinson leads Water and Maritime and Sabine Bink oversees Industry and Buildings.
Haskoning’s Supervisory Board is chaired by Daan Sperling and provides oversight of the Executive Board.
Also Read: El Niño Is Coming. Here Are the Three Floods Kenya Should Prepare For
Previous Flooding Incidents
In April 2024, flooding was reported in the luggage-handling area and sections of JKIA Terminal 1C.
KAA emphasized that the airport was undergoing construction that had been affected by the heavy rains, following concerns raised regarding the state of the airport.
Addressing the matter in the National Assembly, the lawmakers noted that despite KAA announcing plans to revamp the JKIA, the upgrades were substandard.
“Despite the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) announcing plans to revamp the facilities of the airport, the infrastructural upgrades undertaken so far have often been substandard, leading to the continued dilapidation of JKIA. Hon. Speaker, given the heavy rainfall experienced in the country, flooding at the airport and water leakages have become a recurrent problem inside Terminal 1C International Departures and Terminal 1D Domestic Departures,” ODM Nominated Member of Parliament (MP) Irene Mayaka stated.
In addition, a physical verification conducted in February 2024 found that water leakages persisted despite measures undertaken to address the problem.
When El Niño Rains Are Expected
According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, the El Niño-enhanced rains are expected during the October–December 2026 rainfall season.
While rains were expected to continue from September in parts of Western Kenya and the Rift Valley, Nairobi and Central Kenya are forecast to receive the onset in the second to third weeks of October,
However, some parts of the southeast are expected to receive the rains in the third to fourth weeks of October.
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