{"id":165833,"date":"2024-03-27T05:30:27","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T05:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2024\/03\/27\/sakaja-responds-to-drainage-complaints-following-sunday-flooding-it-was-just-a-heavy-downpour\/"},"modified":"2024-03-27T05:30:27","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T05:30:27","slug":"sakaja-responds-to-drainage-complaints-following-sunday-flooding-it-was-just-a-heavy-downpour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2024\/03\/27\/sakaja-responds-to-drainage-complaints-following-sunday-flooding-it-was-just-a-heavy-downpour\/","title":{"rendered":"Sakaja Responds to Drainage Complaints Following Sunday Flooding: “It was just a heavy downpour”"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"\"\"Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja said the heavy flooding witnessed in the city after Sunday\u2019s downpour was beyond his administration\u2019s capacity.<\/p>\n

During an interview with Radio Jambo, Sakaja explained that the rain overwhelmed the city\u2019s sewer and drainage systems.<\/p>\n

He pointed out that complaints about the city\u2019s poor drainage system were unjustified since the Nairobi Expressway also flooded, despite having a cleaner drainage system.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople said the drainage is bad. But the Expressway flooded yet there is no dumping there; there is no construction on riparian land on the road. It was just a heavy downpour,\u201d<\/em> Sakaja said.<\/p>\n

The former Nairobi Senator lamented that the infrastructure needed to contain the rain experienced on Sunday would be expensive. Sakaja stated that his administration\u2019s priorities are education and healthcare.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would need about Sh20 billion for such infrastructure. This is money we should put in schools and hospitals,\u201d<\/em> the governor said.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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I forgot my boat for the Nairobi Expressway pic.twitter.com\/FDKlxUUgFo<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) March 24, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Sakaja stated that he had toured the most affected areas to assess the situation.<\/p>\n

At least seven people reportedly died following the downpour, which caused extensive destruction. Among the deceased was an on-duty police officer.<\/p>\n

Nairobi Regional Commander Adamson Bungei said the officer was en route to rescue four people trapped in a stall at the Country Bus Station when the floods swept him away. As of Tuesday, his body had not been recovered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have gone to the estates; the most affected areas are places next to rivers. Ngong River burst its banks and caused flooding in the Industrial Area and Mukuru kwa Ruben,\u201d<\/em> Sakaja said.<\/p>\n

Sakaja stated that the county has deployed technical staff to unclog sewers and drainage systems in various parts of Nairobi affected by the flooding.<\/p>\n

He mentioned that the County Disaster Management team has mapped out the most affected regions to monitor the situation.<\/p>\n

Sakaja identified hotspot areas including Kangemi, Mukuru kwa Rueben and Njenga, Kware, Kamukunji, Kayole, Viwandani, and the Njiru area.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn industrial areas, there is a construction that blocked the drainage. We have asked the contractor to go back and fix the problem,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have 2,500 people who have been unclogging the drainages for a while now. They are doing a good job. The situation would have been very bad were it not for the work they have done.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n