Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja has absolved his administration from blame following heavy flooding witnessed in the city after Sunday’s downpour.
Speaking during an interview with Radio Jambo, Sakaja said the rain was too much for the city’s sewer and drainage systems.
“People said the drainage is bad. But the Expressway flooded yet there is no dumping there; there is no construction on riparian land on the road. It was just a heavy downpour,” the county boss stated.
Sakaja added that the infrastructure needed to contain the rain experienced on Sunday is too expensive.
“We would need about Sh20 billion for such infrastructure. This is money we should put in schools and hospitals,” he stated.
At least seven people have been reported dead following the downpour, which left behind a trail of destruction.
Among the dead was an on-duty police officer.
Nairobi Regional Commander Adamson Bungei said the officer was on his way to rescue four people trapped in a stall at the Country Bus Station when he was swept away by the floods.
His body is yet to be recovered.
During the interview on Tuesday, Sakaja termed absurd claims by a lawmaker that a new building is to blame for flooding in one of the area's worst-affected estates in the city.
“We have not approved any new building in the last year,” he stated.
Sakaja said he has toured the most affected areas to assess the situation.
“I have gone to the estates; the most affected areas are places next to rivers. Ngong River burst its banks and caused flooding in the Industrial Area and Mukuru kwa Ruben,” he noted.
Sakaja said the county has deployed technical staff and equipment to unclog sewers and drainage systems in various parts of Nairobi affected by the flooding.
Sakaja said the County Disaster Management team has mapped out the most affected regions to monitor the situation.
He said hotspot areas include Kangemi, Mukuru kwa Rueben and Njenga, Kware, Kamukunji, Kayole, Viwandani and Njiru area.
“In industrial areas, there is a construction that blocked the drainage. We have asked the contractor to go back and fix the problem,” he added.
“We have 2,500 people who have been unclogging the drainages for a while now. They are doing a good job. The situation would have been very bad were it not for the work they have done.”
Sakaja further told residents to exercise caution when it rains.
