Sitting ducks: City residents not prepared as more rain looms

Residents of Nairobi County remain unprepared in case of more flooding, even as the weatherman warns of continued rains in the coming days. 

The majority of those who spoke to The Saturday Standard during a spot-check said little has been done to help them prepare, even after floodwaters killed 33 in the city last week.

Francis Kamau, who previously operated a car wash business near Globe Roundabout and already lost his source of livelihood due to the floods, admitted that he has no clear plan should the rains intensify again.

“I don’t know if it will rain again, and if it does, we were not prepared. We were affected and we don’t know what to do,” he said.

According to him, many people are now left waiting without any alternative means of survival.

“There is nothing we are doing. We are just waiting. The government is not handling things well and people are struggling,” he added.

He lost his job after authorities cleared traders from the area to allow renovation of the nearby bridge that has visible cracks on some of the bridge pillars, raising concerns about structural safety.

“I used to work at Globe, but now I have no job because we were removed from the area since the government wants to repair the bridge,” he said.  

“People should be allowed to continue with their work, and when construction begins, that is when they can be moved,” Kamau said, adding that residents have taken no protective measures against possible floods.

“We have not protected ourselves. There is nothing.”

The Saturday Standard observed that the Globe Roundabout bridge heading into the city centre has been closed for renovation.

An excavator was already stationed at the site as workers prepared to begin repairs.

A government official at the site told this publication that the renovation forms part of broader mitigation measures aimed at preventing disaster during the rainy season.

In the Grogon area along Kirinyaga Road, traders said awareness among residents remains low despite the repeated disasters.

“I think people should be informed and educated so that everyone becomes aware,” said David Mwangi, a nyama choma vendor and chairman of Ngara East Nyumba Kumi. 

They blamed poor drainage for the persistent flooding that occurs whenever heavy rains pound the city, noting that the system in the city centre is inadequate, forcing large volumes of water to flow toward the lower areas such as Grogon.

“There is no proper drainage in town and that is why all the water comes down here,” he said, pointing to the Sunami Bridge area as another source of concern.

“The Sunami bridge also creates challenges here in Grogon. When water comes, it blocks the bridge because it is filled with garbage and sacks,” he explained.

Grogon, located near the Nairobi River corridor, was among the worst-hit areas during last week's raging floods. 

During the spot-check, the scars of the recent floods were still evident.

Muddy sections of the road, debris trapped along drainage channels and anxious traders told the story of a community still struggling to recover from the devastating downpour that recently paralyzed the city.

The situation was no different at South B near matter hospital, which was among the most affected, with some residents claiming that they are yet to see authorities create disaster awareness among the public. 

Bonface Kimani, a resident of Eastleigh who operates a bodaboda business in the area, said that, though he remains cautious, he has yet to interact with awareness regarding the impending rains. 

For him, the recent floods left terrifying memories that continue to shape how he responds to the weather, recalling how he narrowly escaped drowning during the last downpour.

“I had picked a customer in South C at around 6 pm and it started raining heavily without stopping. By the time I reached Nyayo, people were walking in water and some were sinking,” he said.

He said he turned back toward Mombasa Road near Mater Hospital and drove into the water, but was lucky to be rescued using a rope. 

The experience has since made him extremely cautious whenever clouds gather.

“Nowadays, if I even see drizzle, I don’t wait—I go home. If you hear it might rain, it’s better to lose property than to lose your life,” he said.

The Nairobi City County government said the administration has intensified the collection of garbage and unclogging of drainage systems and sewerage works as a mitigation measure ahead of the expected heavy rains. 

"On the humanitarian, we are intensifying awareness, sensitising those that are staying on the riparian lands to just be cautious under the first sign of the rains to evacuate," the county Disaster Chief Officer, Bramwel Simiyu, told The Saturday Standard on phone. 

"We are also working closely with the disaster management officers on the ground to keep track of the rainfall, and when there are signs that it's going to be heavier than usual, to activate the evacuation protocols," he added

Additionally, he said a few social halls for purposes of being holding grounds in case there is a need for temporary shelter are in place, including Joseph Kangethe in Kibra and Mathare, as well as "some schools. 

On awareness, he said they "normally work with the Nyumba Kumis, because you can't tell everybody individually." 

Kenya Red Cross Nairobi Branch Coordinator, Joram Oranga, said the agency has a ready response team that will be able to support any emergency, as well as send mass messages to alert people how to take safety measures.

"We have an extensive network of about 20 community-based disaster response units, especially in slums and one specialised team that is centrally within Nairobi that we can activate very fast," he said. 

This comes as President William Ruto signed the Meteorology Act 2023, which establishes a legislative framework to regulate meteorological services in Kenya and to coordinate and monitor their delivery.

The new law, signed on Friday, establishes the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority, which will serve as the principal technical adviser to both national and county governments on meteorological matters.

The Authority will be responsible for establishing and maintaining meteorological management systems for data processing, analysis, forecasting, and archiving.

It will also prepare and disseminate weather forecasts, issue advisories and warnings for disaster risk reduction through a variety of early warning systems, and develop curricula and training programmes in meteorology aligned with international standards.