Nairobi County 'Green Army' unclogs drainages in preparation for El Nino

The Nairobi Green Team unclogging blocked drainages.

Nairobi County Government has intensified its works across the city, as the country prepares for the predicted El Nino rains from October to December.

This comes months after the county government hired 3, 500 youths, under the program dubbed 'Nairobi Green Army'.

On Thursday, October 5, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja revealed the county's plans and mechanisms to mitigate flooding in parts of the city.

"We are putting everything in order and already our green army is in the estates to make sure that we do not take any chances. They will be working on unclogging blocked drainage systems in the city," Sakaja says.

The youth were recruited last month, in a plan that includes the hiring of the youth to join the Nairobi Green Army.

The team was tasked l with daily cleaning of the city, unclogging and cleaning of drainages and garbage collection among other activities to keep the city clean.

Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson said the county put forward banked plans to avert the hazardous impacts likely to be posted by the above-average rain, leading to floods.

Sakaja said that the timely unclogging of the drainage systems will allow a steady flow of water to to avoid blockages and lower risks of flooding.

The county's Environment sector also mapped out disaster hotspot areas that are prone to flooding and deployed an effective green team to unclog the blocked drainages.

"We have mapped out disaster hotspots and deployed the green Nairobi team to unclog blocked drainages. We also have an emergency number that you will be required to call in case of emergencies. It is a fully-fledged emergency call centre" said Governor Sakaja Johnson at Uhuru Park.

He also ordered the demolition of illegal structures established along riparian lands and drainage trenches that could lead to disastrous effects during El Nino climate phenomenon.

"All illegal structures put up along drainages are going to be demolished. We can't risk the lives of thousands of Nairobians at the expense of protecting one person's business" added the governor.