What should be done to end perennial flooding in Nairobi

Whenever Nairobi experiences heavy rains, we are treated to the usual disastrous scenes; impassable roads, flooded homes, closed shops, learning disruption in schools and sometimes loss of lives.

Rain itself isn’t the problem. The problem is Nairobi’s incapacity to absorb water. Every year, we build our hopes and anxieties around the rainy seasons. Drains overflow in the same places where they always do. Government agencies point fingers at each other and the people of Nairobi pay the price with their money (taxes) and lives.

We have lost count of how many Nairobians have been killed by floods. We’ve also lost count of the millions of shillings that floods have cost the city’s economy. It is easy to blame the rain and even easier to point fingers at climate change. The real problem is that Nairobi’s drainage systems are overwhelmed even by moderate rains. This is majorly due to blocked drainage. The drainage system is filled up by plastic bags and choked by silt or deliberately blocked by construction sand. Often, residents dump garbage in them. Illegal dumping into Nairobi’s stormwater drainage channels is rife because nobody enforces the laws.

But blocked drains are merely symptoms of deeper issues of faulty engineering and poor governance. Most of Nairobi’s drainage channels were designed decades ago during the colonial era. Nairobi’s population has since increased but the channels have never been upgraded.

But if physical drains are blocked, institutional drains are even more clogged up. At least four government agencies operate in the overlapping space, behaving as if the county belongs to them alone. The Nairobi City County Government owns the local roads and drains but simply doesn’t have enough engineers and technical expertise. The National Youth Service (NYS) is often contracted to clear our drains; but these efforts are unsustainable. Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) owns Nairobi’s urban roads but only seems to care about the tarmac; drains serving KURA roads are Nairobi County Government’s responsibility and vice versa! Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) oversees drainage serving trunk roads, but the connection between these drains and Nairobi’s drainage channels is rarely coordinated or communicated. Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) maintains drains on their jurisdiction as if the city ends at their boundaries. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) does the same thing for parks and reserves they manage.

It is no surprise that there is confusion over who is responsible for planning, budgeting, maintaining and enforcing infrastructure rules. This ends up in finger-pointing when disaster strikes. Citizens bear the consequences of lost homes, businesses, wages and lives.

Without proper governance and leadership, flooding will not end in Nairobi any time soon.
Nairobi can change this, but we need strong leadership and political will and do the following. First, the county government should establish a standalone Nairobi Drainage Maintenance Authority to oversee planning, budgeting, coordination and implementation of stormwater management across the entire city.

Second, there should be a sustained maintenance programme and campaign of keeping Nairobi’s drains blockage free. Innovative solutions such as technology, citizen reporting mechanisms and continuous monitoring should be considered.

Third, the county government should develop urban planning that compliments topo-flow rather than defying it. Just because we can build on a hill doesn’t mean we should. Building new homes on hilltops doesn’t stop water from flowing downhill. It actually worsens floods because rainwater can’t be absorbed into the sand as quickly.

Fourth, the government should enforce environmental laws and penalise companies or individuals caught engaging in illegal dumping. Sanctions should be severe enough that citizens become incentivised to properly dispose of their waste.

Fourth, the county government should create both insurance and compensation funds so that victims of flooding aren’t left to their own devices when Nairobi floods.

Fifth, there should be public awareness campaigns to prevent loss of lives during floods as well as  effective early warning systems in place.

Finally, there should be multi-agency collaboration between NYS, KURA, KeNHA, the county government and external stakeholders such as KAA and KWS to break down informational silos and utilise technology for data gathering and dissemination. Flooding in Nairobi will persist until we learn to hold our leaders accountable.

Mr Ahmedsiad is a sustainable and disruptive strategist