City Hall flood response plan gains momentum with Sakaja leading efforts

Efforts to mitigate flooding in Nairobi gathered pace on Friday as multiple drainage restoration and environmental clean-up activities were rolled out across several sub-counties.

The efforts come a day after Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja ordered the demolition of illegal structures along riverbanks and the reopening of blocked waterways.

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Across the city, teams were deployed to unclog drainage systems, desilt blocked channels, and clear waste choking key water pathways.

In Roysambu Ward, desilting works were ongoing at Oak Place, while similar efforts were underway behind Kongoni Primary School. Along Muhoho Avenue in Nairobi West, however, operations stalled due to a machine breakdown.

In Kibra Sub-county, particularly in Woodley Ward, multi-agency teams conducted drainage unclogging, sweeping, desilting, and waste transfer along Ngong Road near the KMTC area and Joseph Kang’ethe Road, with works continuing steadily.

Meanwhile, in Embakasi Central’s Kayole Central Ward, a comprehensive clean-up exercise covering Kayole, Mugendi, and Diwopa/Bondeni roads saw drainage unclogging, garbage collection, and litter picking completed within the day.

At the Nairobi River near T-Mall Bridge, an intensified environmental intervention exercise is being carried out under the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI), driven by ongoing heavy rains that have heightened flood risks.

The operation bring together the Green Army from the Environment Department, enforcement officers from Lang’ata Sub-county, and the Nairobi Rivers Commission.

"Today, you can see the work on the ground from desilting drains to reopening rivers that had been choked by illegal developments. This is a coordinated, multi-agency effort that will not stop until our drainage systems are fully restored and our river corridors reclaimed. " Sakaja confirmed.

The latest developments build on decisive action announced Thursday by Governor Sakaja, who directed the immediate demolition of illegal structures on riparian land following the submission of a 48-hour flood response plan.

Speaking during an inspection in Westlands near the Westgate area, the Governor said the exercise had already begun, with heavy machinery deployed to clear obstructed river channels and reopen waterways that had been reduced to narrow culverts.

He warned that all encroachments along rivers would be removed without exception and emphasised that the operation would be sustained, with weekly progress reports expected.

"We must all take responsibility government, developers, and residents to ensure we do not return to the same crisis.”Sakaja continued

County has identified several hotspots, including Kirichwa, parts of Westlands, the CBD, and downstream sections of the Nairobi River, as priority areas in the ongoing effort to reduce flooding and safeguard lives and property.