The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Every rainy season, Nairobi faces a familiar nightmare. Dark clouds gather, hours of heavy rain pour down, roads vanish under water, homes are flooded, and families scramble for safety. Once the waters recede, life resumes—until the next storm hits.
With fresh warnings of heavy rains expected through early March 2026, many residents are asking the same question: Is Nairobi prepared for extreme weather, or are floods still being treated as surprises?
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The Kenya Meteorological Department has issued a stark alert. Some areas in Nairobi and surrounding regions could receive over 30mm of rain within 24 hours, potentially causing localized flooding, especially in urban areas with poor drainage. Residents are advised to avoid crossing flooded roads and channels.
The threat is real. Afternoon and evening showers are forecast to bring sudden, intense downpours—precisely the type of rain that overwhelms the city.
For Nairobians, the fear is grounded in recent tragedies. The 2024 floods were among the worst in Kenya’s history, claiming nearly 300 lives nationwide, displacing hundreds of thousands, and destroying entire neighborhoods. Nairobi was hit particularly hard, with homes swept away overnight, schools collapsing, and families forced into temporary shelters, some of which later flooded again.
Flash floods returned in April 2025, killing at least seven people in the city and displacing hundreds more.
City officials now openly admit what engineers have long warned: Nairobi’s drainage system is outdated. Governor Johnson Sakaja acknowledged that most infrastructure was built for light, seasonal rains—not the heavy storms of today.
County environment chief Geoffrey Mosiria points to human factors as well: blocked drains caused by waste disposal and illegal construction over drainage lines worsen flooding. Civil engineers note that poor construction quality and heavy trucks further damage sewer and drainage systems.
Nairobi County says it has stepped up efforts. Funds have been allocated to improve drainage in flood-prone areas, including major roads and informal settlements. A 3,800-strong youth team has been deployed to clear trash and unblock drains.
“We are mobilizing labor, machinery, and resources to reduce flooding risks,” county officials said.
At the national level, President William Ruto announced Sh1 billion for drainage improvements in Nairobi, with additional billions earmarked for roads, bridges, and stormwater systems. Kenya has also launched disaster management strategies and early warning initiatives aimed at shifting from reactive response to proactive action.
Yet critics argue that preparedness remains a major gap. In 2024, warnings of heavy rain were issued weeks before deadly floods, but emergency agencies were mobilized late. Assessments highlight reactive rather than proactive disaster management, weak coordination, and unclear legal frameworks for preparedness.
Inequities are also evident: demolitions on riparian land disproportionately affected informal settlements, while wealthier areas remained untouched. New developments have since emerged along the same riverbanks, keeping risks high.
Floods leave lasting damage. Thousands of children miss school after classrooms are destroyed, small businesses collapse, and families lose homes, income, and sanitation all at once. In informal settlements, years of progress can be wiped out overnight.
“These disasters deepen poverty,” says a humanitarian worker. “Recovery is slow, and for many, it never fully happens.”
With climate change expected to increase rainfall intensity in Nairobi by up to a third, experts warn that the cost of inaction will only grow.
