More than 120 people have died in Kenya after six weeks of relentless rain, with at least 50 killed in a single deluge 60km from Nairobi. The flooding, exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon, has overwhelmed rivers and sewers, turning roads into waterways and destroying homes across the capital and beyond.
While flooding is not unusual in Nairobi, the scale of this year's disaster has laid bare long-standing problems with urban planning. Professor Alfred Omenya, an urban planning expert, told the BBC: 'You can't contain nature. It doesn't work like that.' He noted that much of the city sits on the Nairobi River's floodplain, and a properly developed drainage system has failed to keep pace with population growth from 100,000 a century ago to 4.5 million today.
Compounding the crisis, less than half of residents are connected to a sewage system, and open sewers in slum areas overflow when it floods. Drains are blocked by household rubbish, and open spaces have disappeared as concrete covers the earth, reducing water absorption. Roads have effectively become part of the drainage system, Professor Omenya said, blaming 'clueless leadership that started from the colonial times'.
Unplanned settlements have been allowed to develop along river valleys, including slums like Mukuru and Mathare. Last Wednesday, a dozen bodies were retrieved from the Mathare river after heavy rains, and many houses were flooded, trapping residents on roofs. Upmarket estates not previously prone to flooding were also hit.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has suspended approvals for building developments and excavations, blaming encroachment on river land for the crisis. President William Ruto has said people in dangerous areas will be moved to land provided by the National Youth Service, with the military and national government mobilised to support counties. Neighbouring Kiambu county has announced building inspections to mitigate future flooding.
Past efforts to demolish irregular buildings have had little effect, and critics say some developments impede water flow, redirecting it to other areas. The government's plan to build affordable housing has not met demand, and residents have been urged to move to higher ground for safety.
