Sakaja Defends Riverbank Evictions Flood Risk

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has issued a strong warning to residents living along riverbanks, urging them to relocate immediately as the county ramps up efforts to restore the Nairobi River and prevent future disasters.

Sakaja reaffirmed his commitment to the Nairobi River regeneration programme, saying the county will continue clearing rivers and reclaiming riparian land despite resistance.

“Even if it is a problem of 130 years, we shall address it. We must make tough decisions,” he said.

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The governor urged residents living along riverbanks to relocate voluntarily to pave the way for environmental restoration and modern infrastructure. He revealed plans to construct a modern market in Gikomba to improve livelihoods while reducing flood risks.

“We have lost so many people and property, but we shall never go there again. We are saving a generation,” he said.

Sakaja also raised alarm over a potential risk at Nairobi Dam, saying he had received information from the Water Resources Authority indicating the dam is “full to the brim.”

He warned that a possible breach could have devastating consequences and urged nearby residents to evacuate immediately.

“This is not a time for politics. Those inciting people must understand that saving lives comes first,” he said.

He added that the county government is investing in long-term drainage and sewer upgrades designed to serve the city for the next 50 years. However, he maintained that immediate action—including forced relocations, if necessary—will be taken to safeguard lives.

“For those living along riverways, please move. If need be, they will be moved,” he warned.

Defending ongoing evictions and river clearance operations, Sakaja cited over a century of warnings about Nairobi’s vulnerability to flooding.

Speaking during a church service at PEFA in Gikomba, he said leadership requires confronting both present challenges and long-standing structural risks.

He traced the city’s flood problems back to the early 1900s, noting that colonial administrators had raised concerns about Nairobi’s location on a swampy floodplain.

He referenced a 1906 letter by Sir James Sandler to Winston Churchill questioning Nairobi’s suitability as a capital, as well as later recommendations by Sir Charles Eliot and Dr Macdonald warning of persistent flood risks.

Sakaja added that the 1928 Nairobi master plan had already identified key rivers—including Mathare, Ngong and Nairobi rivers—and proposed buffer zones, which were unevenly implemented.

“The less privileged were left in low-lying areas while the elite occupied higher grounds like Karen, Muthaiga and Lavington,” he said, adding that the current administration is determined to correct what he described as a 130-year problem