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Nairobi floods: County says one dead, child missing in Kibra

A flooded section of Ring Road Ngara in Starehe Constituency, Nairobi, is pictured on April 21, 2024, following heavy rains in the area. (Photo: Justine Ondieki)

By Hanifa Adan | 21 Apr 2024

For years, Nairobi has grappled with flooding due to a poor and overwhelmed drainage system.

One person has died while another is missing following heavy rains in Nairobi for the whole of Saturday night, the county government said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement said that a search was going on for a child in Kibra Sub-county.

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Nairobi grapples with flooding due to a poor and overwhelmed drainage system, a situation which has, for years, resulted in deaths and property damage.

"We have seen the destruction of properties around the city. In response to the current situation, our emergency teams, led by the disaster management unit, are actively engaged in the relief efforts in the affected areas," the county said.

A flooded section of Ring Road Ngara in Starehe Constituency, Nairobi, is pictured on April 21, 2024, following heavy rains the previous night. (Photo: Justine Ondieki)

It added that it was working closely with relevant authorities and agencies, including the national government, the National Police Service and the Kenya Red Cross Society, to secure all members of the public.

The county has mapped out some of the most affected areas, including the Ngong River's surroundings. The river burst its banks and affected many areas downstream, causing flooding at the Mbagathi roundabout, the Ectoville Industrial Estate in Mukuru kwa Reuben Ward, and Mwiki Ward along the Eastern Bypass.

The Mau Mau River also burst its banks, leaving some churches and residential houses in the Westlands flooded.

The statement said that at least 10 families were affected at the Kiambu slum in Kamukunji Sub-county.

"We already have an excavator machine clearing the garbage that is interfering with the flow of storm waters," the county said.

A flooded section of Ring Road Ngara in Starehe Constituency, Nairobi, is pictured on April 21, 2024, following heavy rains the previous night. (Photo: Justine Ondieki)

It added that a bridge in South B's Mukuru-Kayaya slum was swept away.

"A number of roads were also affected, disrupting traffic and human movement, especially Raila Odinga Road and the Langata Road junction, which flooded due to huge volumes of water as a result of Ngong River bursting its banks,"

The other affected parts include Uhuru Highway, Enterprise Road, Ole Odume Road, Ojijo Road, Langata South Road and James Gichuru Road.

The county urged people who have built houses near rivers, along riparian reserves and reclaimed river sections to leave, saying the presence of the structures contributes to flooding.

"The county will commence an effort to open up rivers where they have encroached to remove the impact of excess water," it said, adding that everyone must adhere to warnings by authorities such as the Kenya Meteorological Department (Met).

A flooded Shell Petrol Station along Ring Road near Park Road Primary School, Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi, as pictured on April 21, 2024, following heavy rains the previous night. (Photo: Justine Ondieki)

Nairobi further said it was working with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) to ensure roads are passable, and that emergency response teams, from agencies including the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) and its disaster management unit, had been deployed.

"Backhoes, wheel loaders, flushing units, and excavators have been deployed to the affected areas," the statement said.

The Met says the rains will not subside any time soon. Kenya is in the long rain season, which began in mid-March and will last until May.

The county's emergency hotline is 1508.