Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has pointed to outdated drainage systems and inadequate funding as key challenges hindering the city’s ability to manage the ongoing heavy rains.
During an interview with Citizen TV on Wednesday, Sakaja explained that Nairobi’s drainage infrastructure was never designed to withstand the intense downpours currently overwhelming the city. He said the system catered to lighter, seasonal rainfall and is now struggling to cope with the unprecedented volumes.
“The sheer amount of rain that is coming down is higher than ever before, and a lot of our drains were designed for a smaller capacity of seasonal rain in the city,” he said.
Sakaja appealed to the national government to urgently release the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), saying that timely financial support is essential to upgrade the city’s urban infrastructure and effectively respond to the flooding crisis.
Sakaja Urges National Support
He also urged the government to acknowledge the critical role county roads play in national development. Sakaja highlighted that counties manage the bulk of Kenya’s road network, yet receive little funding for maintenance and upgrades.
“Everyone who buys fuel pays a levy. The levy is to fix roads. In our country, we have two categories mainly: national and county roads. County roads are more than 65 per cent of all the roads, but all that money goes to national roads,” he stated.
Responding to claims that his administration had failed to act, Sakaja defended his efforts, saying the county has actively tackled the crisis within its means. He pointed to the deployment of the “Green Army”—a workforce of 3,800 youth tasked with clearing garbage and unblocking drainage systems.
“We got our Green Army. We have 3,800 youth who collect garbage, remove the blockages, and they are doing a good job, but for real, we need to expand in some areas and look at the cost of it,” he said.
Sakaja emphasized that while the county is doing its part, long-term solutions depend on fair resource allocation and national government support.
