Kenya Intensifies Nairobi Drain Clearing as El Niño Floods Loom

What changed

Kenya has intensified efforts to clear Nairobi’s rivers and drainage systems as the short rainy season begins and forecasters warn that El Niño could bring severe flooding.

The work follows floods earlier this year that killed more than 60 people across the country. In Kibera, residents such as Agnes Shikoli are preparing for another emergency beside the Ngong river, where her home was flooded to a height of about 1.8 metres in March.

Why it matters

The danger is not only the rain. It is the narrow gap between Nairobi’s infrastructure and the city it now serves.

The drainage system was designed for roughly 2.5 million residents. Nairobi now has about 7 million people during the day and 5.5 million at night. When drains are blocked and sewage systems cannot carry away excess water, flooding quickly becomes a housing and survival crisis, especially in informal settlements built only metres from rivers.

Shikoli’s sister died after floodwater entered her home and caused an electrocution. Shikoli still keeps her sister’s photograph out of sight because it brings back what happened. Her fear that the walls could collapse or the water could drown her is not abstract: earlier flooding left a broken television in her house and killed dozens of people nationwide.

Climate Worx workers are removing rubbish from Nairobi’s riverbeds, while similar efforts target blocked drainage channels across the city. County officials say clearing the waste could save lives. But the full upgrade is estimated to cost up to $192m, and it remains uncertain whether national or county authorities can raise that money.

The coming rains may be less severe than feared, or they may expose the same weaknesses again. For people living along Nairobi’s rivers, the difference will be measured in how quickly water enters their homes, and whether it has anywhere to go.