Nairobi County Issues Flood Warning

Nairobi landlords have been directed to move away from riparian land amid concerns over potential heavy rainfall in the city from Monday, August 18.
Chief Officer for Environment Geoffrey Mosiria, on Monday, raised concern over the city’s strained drainage systems as he urged members of the public to play an active role in preventing flooding.
The county official observed that rapid urbanisation and expansion in Nairobi have led to a significant reduction of natural ground cover. Since most areas in Nairobi were paved with concrete and tarmac, rainwater is unable to soak into the soil, instead moving directly into drainage channels and subsequently overwhelming the city’s ageing infrastructure.
“Our drainage system was not built to handle the kind of volume we’re now seeing,” Mosiria warned. “As a result, even moderate rains are causing serious water buildup and flooding in some areas.”
As part of the safety precaution, the environment department in Nairobi deployed emergency response teams across the city to clear and unblock clogged drainage systems.
Despite the county government’s efforts, Mosiria was adamant that the effectiveness of the efforts largely depended on city dwellers’ cooperation.
In his statement, Mosiria warned Nairobians against dumping garbage on roads, open spaces and drainage reserves, adding that these were the biggest contributors to flooding incidents.
“Every Nairobi resident has a role to play. Avoidthrowing trash into drainage systemsand help us keep these channels open,” he added.
In addition, city residents who live on riparian land have been urged to move back at least 30 metres to avert the risk of getting swept away by rising waters as the government works on long-term upgrades to the city’s drainage infrastructure.
The Kenya Meteorological Department, in its latest forecast on Friday, August 15, announced several parts of the country, particularly the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley and the Western Highlands, would receive rainfall.
According to Kenya Met, these regions are set to experience more than 20mm of rain as well as relatively strong winds.
“The heavy rainfall is likely to continue up to Tuesday. It is projected to reduce in intensity from Wednesday,” the department said.
According to the weatherman, Nairobi was one of the counties that would see moderate to heavy rainfall. Narok, Baringo, Nakuru, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nyandarua, Murang’a, and Kiambu are some of the other counties.