We should not lose lives to floods in the city

It is unacceptable to have city residents dying because of heavy down pour in this day and age. That at least ten people have drowned and scores injured during Monday's heavy rain at Mukuru Fuata Nyayo in South B, indicts all of us.

The national and county governments have failed those departed souls in the most terrible way.

Even the fact that they have been living in such deplorable conditions is bad enough for past and present regimes.
Nairobi, being the country's capital, is expected that living standards of its residents must be very high.

Drowning in the city is simply unfathomable. The fact is, we have let down the urban poor in a big way and it is high time the two levels of government launched deliberate and sustained efforts to make slum dwellers' lives bearable.

Besides the latest flooding, there have been reported cases of cholera and other diseases caused by poor sanitation.

All city slums are crying out for drastic improvements in drainage systems and regular garbage collection. These undertakings are not more costly than the lives we keep losing to avoidable disasters and disease outbreaks.

Political good will and resolve from county leaders are urgently needed to fix these challenges. The government must without fear or favour help adjudicate the lands and facilitate decent housings in all the slums.

It is not beyond the scope of the national and county governments.

Looking at the photos of grieving residents as rescue workers retrieved bodies of the victims, one could not avoid feeling their helplessness.

They must be constantly wondering whether there is a government or authorities supposed to take care of them. Majority of slum residents have been dehumanised for so long and it is high time we took deliberate steps to help.

Business people and able individuals should also chip in through organised initiatives to stem the tide in abject poverty that leaves children much exposed to harsh conditions.

It is not enough to just respond with a few loaves of bread, biscuits, blankets and clothes every time disaster strikes in the informal settlements. We should do more, including taking care of the environment by not littering anywhere.

City leaders must also be visionary and ready to face modern challenges like a ballooning population. Rain should not be reason enough to make traffic flow a nightmare for a city like Nairobi. Proper drainage should be a priority in all structures coming up.

The city inspectorate department must up its game and not turn the other way as greedy developers grab any available space.

Finally, we cannot achieve a middle income economy in the near future if the poor, especially the urban slum dwellers are ignored and let to wallow in their miserable state. We, as a nation, and as leaders must always strive to make their lives better. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the affected families.

The writer is Navakholo Member of Parliament