• Heavy rains started on Friday at 3am, reduced to showers at 5am
• County began clearing drains in flood-prone areas after the forecast
Image: GPS
Nairobi officials know the rains will eventually start, but as usual do little or nothing until the last minute.
The long rains started early on Friday morning. It was heavy from 3am in most parts of the city, followed by showers from 5am. And then the sun came out.
After the delay, the exceptional heat and all that dust, it was a relief.
The weather department forecast rain would start soon in Nairobi, and some parts of the Central Highlands. But overall these long rains won't be very long or very heavy.
The sorry state of drainage in Nairobi has been a perennial problem that both the national and county governments have failed to fix for decades.
Some parts of the city still use drainage and sewer lines that constructed during colonial rule in the 1950s and early 60s.
The county government began clearing drains in flood-prone areas this week after the weatherman forecast the beginning of long rains this month.
Staff have been deployed in Umoja, Eastleigh, South C, South B, Nairobi West, Lang’ata, Eastleigh, Donholm, Roysambu, Kahawa West, Ruai and Utawala, some of the mapped flooding hotspots.
Others are Mukuru, Kibera slums, Kileleshwa, Highrise estate and areas along the Outering Road.
Environment executive Vesca Kangogo and her Transport counterpart Hitan Majevdia have been tasked by Governor Mike Sonko to oversee the dreain cleanup.
"No lives should be lost or property destroyed because of flooding. We must take our work seriously and ensure Nairobians are not hurt by the rains,” Sonko said.
In the past, scores have died and property worth millions has been destroyed by floods.
Transport is disrupted whenever it rains heavily as many roads become impassable. The Kenya Meteorological department acting director Stella Aura, in the latest forecast, said the rest of the country will remain mostly hot and dry for the next few days.
“Central Highlands Nairobi, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang'a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu and Tharaka-Nithi counties) are likely to experience sunny intervals in the morning although light rains are likely to occur on Thursday and Friday,” she said.
This comes at a time when several parts of the country are struggling with acute water shortage and hunger.
Kenya has a history of prolonged droughts followed by flash floods that normally cause havoc.
The country never seems prepared.
Last year in April, torrential rains made Turkana inaccessible after the banks of the Turkwel, Kalemorok and Kawasale rivers burst, blocking routes to Lodwar, Lokichogio and South Sudan.
More than 20 residents have died from hunger as a result of drought revaging the same area, one year later.