Following intense rainfall on Saturday night, numerous areas in Nairobi have been inundated by floods, causing significant disruption. Major roads such as Mombasa Road, Raila Odinga Road, and others in South C, Kangundo Road, Parklands, and neighboring counties like Machakos and Kajiado have been affected, experiencing flooding.
Numerous vehicles have been swept away by the floods, prompting distress calls from residents in various locations, including Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Fuata Nyayo, Land Mawe, and Mukuru Kayaba. In response, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) has issued a cautionary advisory to motorists, urging them to proceed with care along flooded roads until the water levels recede. Specifically, motorists have been warned about areas prone to flooding such as Raila Odinga Road, Langata Road near Wilson Airport, and Links Road-Nyali in Mombasa County.
KURA has deployed technical teams on the ground to assess the situation and implement necessary measures to alleviate the impact of flooding on roads. Traffic police are also present to ensure the safe flow of traffic and guide motorists towards alternative routes if needed.
The Kenya Red Cross has reported distressing situations, with 360 apartments in Syokimau, Machakos, being cut off by floods. Additionally, the Nairobi City County MCAs have been reaching out to the county disaster management department for assistance in dealing with the aftermath of the floods.
Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai has raised concerns about the county’s disaster preparedness, alleging that the County Executive has hindered the production of reports on the matter due to corruption and mismanagement of county land.
According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, heavy rainfall is expected to persist across various parts of the country until the end of the month. Regions likely to experience heavy rainfall include the Highlands East and West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, the South-eastern lowlands, the Coast, and North-eastern Kenya.
Moreover, certain counties, including Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Isiolo, Garissa, Tana River, Lamu, Kilifi, Mombasa, and Kwale, are anticipated to have high average daytime temperatures exceeding 30°C. Night-time temperatures are expected to be moderate across much of the Highlands East and West of the Rift Valley, ranging between 10°C and 20°C.
