Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has blamed the national government for failing to release road maintenance funds, saying the city's drainage systems are overwhelmed by unprecedented rains.
Speaking in an interview aired on Wednesday, April 22, Sakaja said most city drainage systems were designed for much lighter rains and are now unable to cope with recent downpours. "The amount of rain that is coming down is higher than ever before," said Sakaja, adding, "A lot of our drains were designed for a smaller capacity of seasonal rain in the city." Sakaja noted that while the county has deployed 3,800 youth under the 'Green Army' programme to clear garbage and blocked drainage, this has not been enough to prevent severe flooding in areas like Ojijo Road and Kipande Road in Parklands. "Kenya built a 1.2-metre drainage for Thika Road, but it connects to a 0.6-metre drain on Ojijo Road.
Science will tell you there'll be a backlog," said Sakaja.
He added, "To date, it doesn't flood because we pushed them to complete the job." Sakaja said the Nairobi County government continues to address localised drainage issues, but long-term solutions require national funds. "We've sat with engineers, but the resources needed to expand drainage must come to counties as a right," said Sakaja, referring to Sh10.5 billion that he said remains frozen by the courts.
