Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja when he appeared before the Senate Committee on National Security at Bunge Towers on July 23, 2026./DOUGLAS OKIDDY
The Nairobi county government has rolled out a Sh2.4 billion flood-mitigation programme involving desilting of rivers, expanding drainage capacity and mobilising a multi-agency response team as the capital braces for El Niño rains.
Governor Johnson Sakaja said the county had identified major flood hotspots and was working with key state agencies to prepare for the rains.
The agencies include the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura), Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), Kenya Red Cross and the Nairobi Rivers Commission.
The county's intervention includes construction of outfall drains, clearing blocked drainage channels, desilting rivers and preparing emergency shelters for residents who may have to be evacuated.
“The drainage system was designed for a city of half a million people. And so you find places that you have a 0.35-litre drain needing a 1.2-litre drain,” Sakaja said.
Sakaja told the Senate Committee on County Public Investments and Special Funds that the county had secured Sh2.4 billion to increase the capacity of Nairobi's drainage system.
He said the first projects had been awarded, with contractors expected to move to site as the county races against time before the rains intensify.
“Contractors are getting on site,” he said.
City Hall has also identified 13 major flood hotspots where interventions are being prioritised.
The county is working with national agencies to address flooding along major roads, including Mombasa Road and Kangundo Road, where responsibilities for roads and drainage are shared between different levels of government.
Sakaja said the multi-agency approach was intended to eliminate the blame game that usually follows flooding.
“When it floods on the expressway on Mombasa Road, that is under KeNHA. It's not under the county government. But instead of just sitting and saying it is your problem, we said, let's come together,” he said.
The county has also stepped up the clearing and desilting of rivers, with teams working at several sites across the city.
Sakaja said Nairobi's three major rivers — Mathare, Ngong and Nairobi — posed a particular challenge because the city had been built around their floodplains.
He warned that attempts to block or narrow natural waterways would only worsen flooding.
“We cannot fight with nature. Water will always remember its way,” the governor said.
City Hall has further deployed its Green Army teams to unclog drainage systems and remove silt and waste from waterways ahead of the rains.
The county has also established an emergency operations centre and a dedicated emergency hotline, 1508, through which residents can report incidents.
Sakaja said the county had identified 27 drop-off points and shelters where residents would be taken if evacuation becomes necessary.
He said this was one of the lessons learnt from previous floods, when residents were advised to leave high-risk areas without being told where they would go.
“The mistake we made last time was that we told people to move. But we didn't tell them where to move to,” Sakaja said.
City Hall is also targeting developments that have interfered with natural waterways, particularly in areas where walls and other structures have narrowed river channels.
Sakaja said some residents living along riparian areas had already moved to safer locations, but warned those still occupying vulnerable areas to heed government advisories.
The county is also preparing a joint communication strategy with the Kenya Red Cross and national government agencies to ensure residents receive consistent warnings before and during the rains.
“There will be only one voice. Between the Red Cross, ourselves, and the ministry,” Sakaja said.
The governor said the county's preparations had been informed by the extreme rainfall Nairobi experienced earlier in the year.
On March 6, he said, the city received 160mm of rain in a single night, putting enormous pressure on the drainage system.
“Any system would be strained by that kind of rain at a go,” Sakaja said.
He said the county was nevertheless determined to strengthen its capacity before the expected rains, while urging residents to take early warnings seriously.
“We don't want to lose lives. The lives we have so far lost should not recur. Let's listen to government messaging on what to do,” he said.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Nairobi's flood preparedness plan comes as the county moves to address 227 flood-prone hotspots identified across the city's 17 sub-counties. Sakaja said the county would continue working with national agencies to ensure that drainage works, emergency response and evacuation plans are in place before the rains arrive.
