Hope fades for family of officer swept away in 2024 city floods

Two years ago, Police Constable David Kibet Chesire unknowingly slipped into an uncovered manhole and was swept away by floodwaters at Muthurwa Market, never to be traced.

The officer, attached to Kamukunji Police Station, had rescued a mother and her three children trapped in a stall close to the raging floods when he slipped while clutching his AK-47 rifle.

Kibet, then aged 33, was on duty and left behind a family, parents, and siblings who depended on him. Hopes of Kibet being found alive have faded, and his relatives have almost resigned themselves to fate.

The incident March 24, 2024 highlighted the poor urban drainage in the capital, where authorities ignored early warning signs of looming disasters.

Though the National Police Service has classified Kibet as missing, his family, led by his sister Purity Chepkemoi, want closure.

They were told Kibet can only be declared dead after seven years. In Kenya, Section 118A of the Evidence Act presumes a person dead after seven years. “Where it is proved that a person has not been heard of for seven years by those who might be expected to have heard of him if he were alive, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that he is dead,” states the Act.

For now, Kibet’s relatives have resigned themselves to the fact that he may never be found, and that his body may never be recovered. “We were told we shall only be compensated after seven years. It has been a tough journey for us as a family since the day Kibet was swept away by the floods,” says Chepkemoi.

The tragedy has taken a toll on the health of their parents, Joseph Chesire and Elizabeth Salim. Kibet’s wife and two children live in Kambi ya Moto, Kabarak, Nakuru County.

According to Chepkemoi, the family was forced to transfer Kibet’s children from a private to a public school due to lack of funds. “That was not Kibet’s wish. He wanted the best for his children. My elder brother valued their education,” she says.

Kibet was the only son among six siblings. His ageing father has taken over caring for the grandchildren, though he has exhausted his meagre resources.

“We want the family to be compensated. The children and wife are suffering and need help. What hurts most is that we have been forgotten; most people don’t bother to find out how we are faring,” Chepkemoi notes.

As Kibet’s family agonises over a tragedy that could have been avoided, they fear others reported missing following Friday’s heavy rains may also not be traced or rescued after being swept into drainage systems lacking safety vaults and emergency exits.

Each year, city residents brace themselves for flooding, traffic paralysis, and property damage – in a cycle that consumes lives while authorities offer empty promises to fix the problem.

According to Kyalo Muema, a surveyor and planner, the persistent drainage challenges are an indictment of the county and national governments’ failure to learn from cities, such as Kigali and Casablanca, which have invested heavily in stormwater management and urban planning frameworks prioritising drainage and environmental protection. “These cities have implemented strict land use regulations, improved drainage systems, and integrated flood management strategies to reduce the impact of heavy rainfall,” observes Kyalo.

He notes that in many parts of Nairobi, drainage channels are undersized, poorly maintained, or completely absent. During heavy rainfall, water accumulates faster than it can be discharged, forming large pools along roads and low-lying areas. The problem is compounded by the inadequate capacity of sewers and stormwater lines, many of which were designed for smaller populations and lower levels of urban development.

“As Nairobi has expanded rapidly, the demand on these systems has far exceeded their design capacity. During intense rainfall, drainage networks quickly become overwhelmed, causing water to backflow onto roads and surrounding neighbourhoods,” explains Kyalo.

To address the flooding problem, he proposes a comprehensive, technically informed approach prioritising accurate spatial data, professional planning, and strict adherence to engineering standards.

“Ultimately, solving Nairobi’s flooding challenge will require coordinated action from government agencies, urban planners, engineers, surveyors, and the broader public. Development within river reserves must be strictly controlled, and existing encroachments should be addressed through policy enforcement and urban renewal initiatives,” he notes.