County officials assess flood and sewer damage in Eastleigh North, promise solutions
By Abdirahman Khalif |
Eastleigh has been experiencing sewerage system failures over the past few years, with frequent bursts during heavy rains, which present health risks.
Top Nairobi County officials visited Eastleigh North Ward on Tuesday to assess the damage caused by heavy rain and flooding, as well as the condition of sewer lines, to decide what actions to take.
Eastleigh North MCA Ahmedqadar Dabar guided the team led by Nairobi City County Chief Officer of Water and Sewerage Oscar Omoke and Chief Executive Officer of Ward Development Fund Eston Kimathi.
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They visited Jam Street, Second Street, Kirongothi Street, and other parts heavily affected by the heavy downpours experienced in many parts of the country in the March-May long rain season. The team also inspected highrises affected by poor sewerage systems.
Eastleigh North MCA Ahmedqadar Dabar checks the depth of a muddy puddle on Second Street in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on May 14, 2024. (Photo: Kelvin Muthoni/EV)
Eastleigh has been experiencing sewerage system failures over the past few years, with frequent bursts during heavy rains, which present health risks. The overwhelmed system sometimes leads to flooding on adjacent roads, rendering several roads impassable.
Ahmedqadar said most of Eastleigh's systems are blocked due to pressure from floods and their old age, some having been set up before the colonial era and therefore unable to handle the needs of tighter populations.
"Some of the drainage systems here are older than my father. They were built before Kenya was colonised," said the MCA
The MCA also noted that Eastleigh was designed as a residential area but has become a commercial hub, hosting hundreds of thousands of people, a shift that has strained the drainage and sewerage systems.
He also highlighted the urgent need for road repairs, saying several, including Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Streets, were still under construction.
"We have short- and long-term solutions. Managing the overflowing sewage is a short-term solution, whereas redesigning the system and upgrading the lines need a budget," he noted.
One of the flooded buildings in Eastleigh North, Nairobi, which county officials assessed in a tour on May 14, 2024. (Photo: Kelvin Muthoni/EV)
Noting Eastleigh makes a major contribution to the county and national governments' revenue, the MCA said the area deserves proper services.
Omoke expressed gratitude for Eastleigh's financial contributions and said the county was committed to providing it with good services.
"The governor promised a city of dignity, hope, and order. That is what we are trying to achieve," he said, assuring residents that the problems would be resolved. He noted that the area is a primary beneficiary of an upcoming increase in Nairobi's water supply.
Omoke also pledged to improve the drainage and sewerage systems in Eastleigh, to end its long-standing infrastructure problems.
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