Nairobi has stepped up efforts to contain flood risks ahead of the expected El Niño rains, with Governor Johnson Sakaja bringing together key agencies to speed up preventive works and prepare for possible emergencies across the city.
Sakaja on Monday chaired a special Implementation Cooperation Committee meeting at the Kenya Railways Headquarters, where officials reviewed ongoing flood mitigation measures and plans to strengthen the city’s readiness for the coming rains.
The meeting brought together the Kenya Red Cross, Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), National Disaster Management teams and other partners involved in flood preparedness and response.
“We will continue working together to ensure that the city is prepared, resilient and ready,” Sakaja said.
The county’s preparations come amid forecasts that wet conditions could continue from October through February, raising the need for agencies and residents to take early action in areas vulnerable to flooding.
Sakaja said Nairobi had formed a multi-agency team to coordinate preparedness and emergency response, bringing together the Kenya Red Cross, KURA, KeNHA, KeRRA and disaster management teams.
He said drainage improvement works were already underway along Mombasa Road and other areas identified as flood hotspots. The agencies involved will carry out interventions within their respective mandates as part of the wider effort to improve the city’s preparedness.
The county has also put in place an emergency response centre and dedicated communication channels that residents can use to report emergencies.
Rescue centres have been identified ahead of possible evacuations, while some residents living in riparian areas have already moved to safer locations.
Sakaja urged those still living in high-risk areas to relocate before the rains become more intense, warning residents against ignoring government advisories.
“We don’t want to lose lives. The lives we have so far lost should not recur. Let’s listen to government messaging and what to do,” Sakaja said.
He called on Nairobi residents to follow government guidance and take precautionary steps to protect lives and property, saying early intervention would help reduce the effects of flooding.
The governor also said the county’s Green Army teams were continuing with efforts to unclog and clear drainage systems across Nairobi as part of the preparations.
“We are preparing early because we know what is coming. We have brought together all the agencies that have a role to play so that when the rains come, we are not responding in isolation but as one coordinated team,” he said.
Sakaja said close cooperation between residents and government agencies would remain important, particularly in flood-prone and riparian areas.
He urged residents in high-risk zones to take evacuation warnings seriously and cooperate with authorities to ensure preventive measures are completed before the heavy rains set in.