Nairobi — The Kenya Meteorology Department has scaled down its El-Nino alert.

The department had warned of heavy rains from October but President William Ruto says the alert has been scaled down for short rains.

"Those people have said again that there will be no El Niño. There will just be a lot of rain," he stated, alluding to the weather forecasters," the president said during a church service in Nairobi's Riruta area on Sunday.

There had been widespread concerns about El Niño rains which were imminent following the Met alert, leading to fears of potential damage to properties.

The Kenya Meteorological Department had previously cautioned Kenyans to remain vigilant regarding the El Niño phenomenon, which occurs every 3 to 5 years. The alert specified that the El Niño rains would begin in September and continue until October through December of this year.

"This will be driven by warmer than average Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) over the Central and Eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean, indicating the presence of El Niño conditions. According to most of the global climate models, El Niño conditions are likely to persist throughout the OND season," explained Kenya Meteorological Service Director General Dr. David Gikungu.

In addition to the weather forecast, President Ruto announced that the country has achieved its highest maize harvest in four years, marking a significant 45 percent increase in production. This bountiful harvest is expected to stabilize maize flour prices, and the President encouraged farmers to prepare their farms for the upcoming farming season.

"We want to thank God that we have a bumper harvest this season. Our projection is that we will add our produce by an extra 45 percent. We have enough food to feed our country," President Ruto affirmed.