El Niño won’t just flood roads, it could switch off your business

Three in four small businesses in Kenya rely on mobile money for customer payments, according to FSD Kenya’s 2023 FinAccess MSE Tracker Survey. The Kenya Meteorological Department forecasts above-average rainfall across more than 80 percent of the country during the October-to-December 2026 short rains, raising the risk of power outages and damage to fibre routes. Disruptions to the SEACOM and EASSy undersea cables in 2024 demonstrated East African businesses’ dependence on reliable connectivity. Caroline Gathii urges businesses to assess infrastructure dependencies, model disruption scenarios and tailor continuity plans to flood risks.