Sakaja Convenes Multi-Agency El Niño Preparedness Team as Sh2.4B Flood Works Underway
The programme will complement ongoing county efforts to overhaul Nairobi's drainage network, including the Nairobi Regeneration Programme, while addressing roads and other critical infrastructure repeatedly affected by flooding.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has brought together a multi-agency team and set up five sub-committees to prepare the city for impending El Niño rains, as Sh2.4 billion in drainage and flood-mitigation projects kick off in flood-prone regions. The assembly included representatives from the Kenya Red Cross, Kenya Urban Roads Authority, Kenya National Highways Authority, National Disaster Management Authority, Nairobi County Disaster Management Team, Environment Department, Nairobi Rivers Commission and other essential agencies.
Sakaja emphasized the importance of early preparation, unified response and safeguarding lives and property through collaboration among these agencies. From the Sh2.4 billion budget, Sh2 billion is designated for drainage and flood-mitigation works in 19 roads, with the process already underway. This initiative complements the ongoing Nairobi Regeneration Programme aimed at overhauling the city's drainage network and addressing roads and critical infrastructure prone to flooding.
The multi-agency team has pinpointed 227 flood hotspots across Nairobi's 17 sub-counties, guiding resource allocation and emergency actions. These focus areas encompass blocked or undersized drainage channels, desilting and waste removal, river corridors and vulnerable waterways, flood-prone roads, critical transport routes, obstructed structures and at-risk communities requiring early warnings, evacuations, shelter and relief support.
The five sub-committees will handle Infrastructure and Drainage, Emergency Response and Evacuation, Shelter and Relief, Security and Traffic, and Communication. The Infrastructure and Drainage committee will manage drainage systems, rivers and other critical infrastructure improvements; the Emergency Response and Evacuation committee will handle rapid response, rescue and evacuation; the Shelter and Relief committee will arrange safe shelters and coordinate food, water, medical aid and other relief; the Security and Traffic committee will manage security, traffic flow and emergency access; and the Communication committee will enhance early warnings, public alerts and timely information dissemination to residents.
Nairobi authorities are deploying personnel, equipment and resources to clear blockages, eliminate silt and waste, and fortify emergency response systems in high-risk zones. Sakaja stressed the significance of this multi-agency framework in bridging jurisdictional gaps, ensuring seamless government coordination in preparing for and responding to emergencies.
He hopes that the flood-mitigation works and the new coordination system will bolster Nairobi's resilience, enhance storm-water management and minimize flooding-related disruptions during heavy downpours.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
