Eastleigh’s Sgt. Kahande Street turns hazardous as stagnant water, traffic jams worry locals

Residents and road users of Sgt. Kahande Street in Eastleigh have expressed growing concern over the poor state of the road following the development of a large gully filled with dirty stagnant water near Deliverance Church.

The flooded section has made movement difficult for both pedestrians and motorists who rely on the road to access Yusuf Haji Avenue and Nairobi’s Central Business District.

The street has become a preferred route for matatus operating between Eastleigh’s main market and the city centre. However, the worsening condition of the road has disrupted transport operations and increased travel time. Drivers say the section near the gully often becomes congested as vehicles slow down to navigate through the damaged part of the road.

Michael Mwangi, a matatu driver who plies the Eastleigh–CBD route, said the situation has made their daily work difficult. He explained that the hole has reduced the width of the road, forcing vehicles to move slowly and causing traffic jams that stretch into the main market area.

“Driving through this section is very hard. You have to be careful and steady. Sometimes traffic builds up because every driver takes several minutes to pass through due to this hole,” Mwangi said.

The gully, which has now turned into a pool of dirty stagnant water, is also causing health concerns among the residents and traders who operate along the street. The foul smell from the stagnant water and the potential spread of waterborne diseases have left business owners worried, especially as the area hosts a large number of retail and wholesale shops, as well as several malls that attract many visitors daily.

Students from the nearby New Eastleigh Primary School also use the same road to get to school. Parents have expressed fear that the stagnant water could pose a danger to the children who walk through the area every morning and evening.

Nairobi County Chief Officer for Environment, Geoffrey Mosiria, visited the affected section on Sunday and attributed the problem to blocked drainage systems.

He said that investigations by the county revealed that some building owners in the area had illegally blocked sewer lines and others were dumping garbage into the drainage channels, preventing proper water flow.

Mosiria said the county government would take immediate steps to repair the damaged section of the road and restore the drainage system. He also warned that action would be taken against property owners and individuals found responsible for blocking or dumping waste into the drainage channels.

“Those who are blocking the drainage system, including some of the houses around here, we shall take action against them. We shall repair this place so that the road can be used properly,” Mosiria said.

He added that the county government’s environment department is working with other agencies to ensure that all drainage channels in Eastleigh are unblocked to prevent similar problems in the future.

The deteriorating condition of Sgt. Kahande Street highlights the broader challenge of poor waste management and unplanned development in Eastleigh, where rapid construction has outpaced the capacity of existing infrastructure.

Residents have called on the county government to act quickly before the situation worsens with the expected short rains.

Other Topics To Read

• Headlines
• Eastleigh
• eastleigh garbage collection
• eastleigh roads
• eastleigh businesses
• Eastleigh garbage
• Sgt. Kahande Street
• Eastleigh drainage
• Eastleigh’s Sgt. Kahande Street turns hazardous as stagnant water
• traffic jams worry locals

For now, road users continue to navigate through the flooded section with difficulty as they await the promised repairs and enforcement action from the county authorities.