Death and destruction: Shame of failed city system

Deaths, wrecked property, floating cars and sheer devastation marked the Friday night downpour that left a trail of destruction in Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi.

Images of vehicles floating in floodwater, submerged houses, the discomfort of nights spent by city residents on flooded roads due to vehicular gridlock, and families left without their kin were painful.

On Saturday, families woke up without their loved ones killed in the raging floods, with the government reporting that at least 25 Kenyans died and 29 others were rescued.

Businesses were counting losses of property destroyed worth millions of shillings — a result of weak leadership, poor planning, recklessness and years of systemic neglect that have led to clogged sewer lines and blocked drainage, creating a cocktail of filth swirling into the streets.

Nairobi, billed as a regional hub and gateway to East Africa, literally came to a standstill. Sadly, this situation could recur if it rains in the city again today.

The Kenya Meteorological Department said the heavy rainfall will continue for two days, with isolated heavy storms expected.

The most affected areas in Nairobi, it said, are Westlands, Dagoreti, Embakasi, Kibra, Roysambu and Kasarani.

On Saturday, the Kenya Red Cross reported heavy rainfall causing flooding in several city estates and surrounding areas, leading to road closures, property damage, displacement and distress among affected communities.

Nearly all roads in the Nairobi Central Business District, Uhuru Highway, Mbagathi Way, Mombasa Road (South C–JKIA Exit–Kyumbi), Thika Superhighway (Githurai–Kahawa Sukari), Jogoo Road, Lunga Lunga Road, Enterprise Road and Lang’ata Road near T-Mall were affected.

The affected estates included Pipeline and Embakasi (Kware Road cut off), Mukuru (Kwa Njenga, Reuben, Viwandani), Kibra, Mathare, Huruma, Baba Dogo, Bosnia, South B and South C, Nairobi West, Lang’ata, Umoja 3, Chokaa, Njiru, Ruai, Utawala, Roysambu, Kahawa West, Githurai, Loresho and parts of Westlands.

Beyond Nairobi, Red Cross reported flooding in Wang’chieng Ward, Kisumu County, after the Sondu-Miriu River burst its banks, affecting Kobala and Kobuya locations. By Saturday, at least 381 households were affected, some 15 schools impacted, while homesteads and farms were flooded and about 56 hectares of farmland were destroyed.

Back in Nairobi, residents across city estates told tales of disrupted livelihoods, pointing fingers at Johnson Sakaja’s administration, accusing it of weak leadership that for nearly four years has failed to restore sanity in the city, opting instead to seek assistance from the national government to fix basic tasks such as unclogging drainage.

From gas explosions to collapsing buildings and now floods, Nairobi County has often been caught flat-footed.

One of the most disturbing images engraved in Kenyans’ minds is that of the body of a woman trapped against a water pipe while being swept away by raging floods at Uhuru Park following the heavy downpour in Nairobi on Friday.

Perhaps she was trying to save herself but was overpowered by the force of the water, taking her last breath.

The disaster has not only exposed the city’s lack of preparedness to handle calamities but has also left a trail of questions, including the state of the capital city that on sunny days looks beautiful with working systems but punishes its residents during the rainy season.

More puzzling is that, unlike in the past, even light showers now leave the city marooned, roads impassable, homes submerged and lives lost. Is it about failed systems or poor leadership?

Currently, nearly all estates in the city face myriad challenges including developments on public utilities and congestion in the city centre.

When Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja took office in 2022, he promised a city of order, hope and dignity with his slogan “Lazima Iwork”.

This has, however, turned out to be an elusive dream in a move that has forced him to seek help from the national government to run some key projects for more than three years.

From choking garbage, hawker menace, poor infrastructure and filthy markets to uncontrolled construction, these have turned out to be hot potatoes.

Some of the recent disasters that caught the county unawares include the collapse of a 12-storey building in South C in January this year, the Embakasi gas explosion and now the floods.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna described Friday’s floods in the city as an indictment of top city leadership.

“We know it’s a sum total of many failures, but mostly failures of leadership. We must do better because you don’t deserve this,” his post reads in part.

Adding that, “It is obvious that we need a comprehensive review of how the  city drains because the piecemeal interventions are not working.”

Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino also blamed the floods on poor leadership in Nairobi.

“We know that some of the issues in Nairobi are structural and historical, but a good governor must have a disaster team ready to assist when it strikes,” Robert Alai, the Kileleshwa MCA, said.

“A good governor can easily mobilise 500 young and energetic men and women to be trained on rescue from each of the 17 sub-counties. We can have a working team to help reduce the pain of a disaster,” Alai added.

Experts and leaders in Nairobi are now raising concerns that it is time to address the challenges before more lives are lost as the city’s population continues to grow.

Omwenga Mairura, chairman of the Town and County Planners Association of Kenya (TCPAK), faulted the county government.

“These kinds of disasters can be prevented, but I think it is our government, first at the county level, that has let us down. These can be mitigated if there is proper planning and development of supportive infrastructure.

“For example, as we built the expressway, we did not actually complete the drainage works on the ground. So really, it is a failure to respond and address these matters with the urgency they require,” the expert observed.

The town planner argued that as the city expands, the flood challenge becomes worse where proper town planning is lacking.

He said that as buildings, roads and other infrastructure come up, open grounds necessary for water to seep into are reduced.

“The reason when it rains it floods is because open grounds that act as filters and absorb water are occupied, leaving no space for the water to penetrate,” said Omwenga.

Adding: “We hope the plan and design incorporated that element because as we put up these projects, drainage must be extremely considered. Sadly, in most cases, when such projects come up, drainage is forgotten.”

In February, the Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman) recommended the prosecution of five senior officials in Nairobi County over the approval of buildings without following procedures.

In an investigation report released on February 6, Commission chairperson Charles Dulo said such activities have put the lives of Nairobi residents at risk, with some already losing their lives.

He urged the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to initiate legal proceedings against the five officials for facilitating unlawful development contrary to the Physical and Land Use Act.

Those mentioned in the report are former County Executive Committee Member for Urban Planning Stephen Mwangi, Chief Officer for Urban Planning Patrick Analo and Assistant Director of Development Control Fredrick Ochanda.

Others are Development Control Officer Simon Omondi and Director for Planning, Compliance and Enforcement Tom Achar.

Omwenga also blamed the county for failing to maintain or rehabilitate existing drainage systems, which have been clogged over time.

Adding that, “Some very simple things that can actually be done, we fail to do them. Simple maintenance of these drains is possible because workers are there. You can see them — someone scoops waste from the drain and leaves it right next to it, which then blocks the drainage again in a short time.”

Ironically, in the recently signed cooperation agreement between Nairobi County and the national government, Sakaja surrendered waste management, infrastructure and water distribution.

Another town planner, Eric Mugo, said that for the current mess to be corrected, Nairobi County ought to employ experts, including qualified planners.

“Nairobi is in a mess, and it did not start today. If you look at some people who are referred to as experts in City Hall, some of them are not even qualified,” he said.

He wondered why no one had advised that the old sewer lines and drainage systems had never been expanded despite the city’s rapid growth.

“I think the first solution is to do an overhaul at City Hall — from those in disaster management to those in urban planning and other key departments. Some of them have been there for many years without offering solutions,” he added.

In 2024, senators questioned Governor Sakaja over the qualifications of some employees at City Hall, including those in disaster management.

He was asked to explain whether some officers working at the fire department in the Nairobi County Disaster Management Unit had the requisite qualifications.

Sifuna revealed that two employees held degrees in theology and questioned whether they were suited for their positions.

The senators also raised questions about two other firefighters said to hold degrees in Library Studies and Tours and Travel, respectively.

Chief Officer for Disaster Management Bramwel Simiyu said Friday’s rains, which resulted in deadly floods, overwhelmed drainage systems because they carried large amounts of debris, including vehicles.

He said such disasters can be avoided in the future through early sensitisation and warning systems in collaboration with organisations handling disasters like the Red Cross.

“We need to train people on how to conduct themselves during such disasters, like not crossing swollen rivers, driving in rising waters and not going near power lines,” said Simiyu.

“There is also a need to invest in post-disaster support to ensure that people get food and non-food items whenever such calamities strike,” he added.

He also noted that much work needs to be done to establish a proper drainage system that can serve the city’s current large population.

“When the current infrastructure was constructed many years ago, it was meant to cater for a small population at the time,” he said.

Adding that, “The ideal approach is to focus on mitigation and prevention measures even as we work on efficient response whenever tragedies occur. Some of the things we have done under disaster risk reduction include engaging communities to raise awareness on floods and fires.”