Kenya

The incessant rains that walloped most of east and central Africa for most of the past five months have given way to soothing blue skies. Yet, the effects of the relentless precipitation, caused by now-notorious El Nio weather phenomenon, have nearly flattened the economies of several African nations. More than 4,000 people have perished since October 1997 because of flooding and rain-related diseases, such as malaria and cholera. The rains have washed out many major roads, hampered food production and crippled tourism. Over 500,000 people in the northeastern Kenya are still cut off from major towns by these floods.

Production of coffee in Uganda, the nation's main export and foreign exchange earner fell by more than 50 per cent late last year. Kenyan manufacturers and exporters have lost million of us dollars. While in Tanzania, the rains washed out the country's chief source of foreign exchange -- tourism.

The rains also kept farmers in nearly the whole of east and central Africa from planting tens of thousands of acres of crops, with especially harsh effects in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Somalia. There have been reports of 500 per cent more rainfall, or as much as 20 centimetres per day where it usually does not exceed eight centimetres. Forecasters predict that the rains in east and central Africa -- which have not taken the beating that Peru has, for instance -- should ease in inland areas over the next few months.

However, the coastal areas and regions surrounding Lake Victoria may continue to experience above-average rainfall. No country is on the edge of famine, but none can afford another four months of soaking downpour. "The situation in most of east Africa is still fairly precarious," said Nick Maunder, regional field representative for the Nairobi-based Early Warning System. Accurate statistics are elusive in Kenya, but analysts say that the rains have affected several key economic sectors. Exports of tea and coffee, two crucial sources of foreign exchange, slid sharply last year, as did corn production, forcing Kenya to import that staple this year.

Tourism, already ailing owing to political violence on Kenya's coast in August and September, 1997, sank further because of the rains. Roads that lead to safari parks were often reduced to seas of mud, which left some hotels and lodges without customers for days on end. The rains also battered most of Kenya's key access roads -- most notably, the road connecting Nairobi and Mombassa.

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