Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has directed evacuations from high-risk riparian areas ahead of anticipated El Niño rains.
The Nairobi governor has directed agencies to move residents from high-risk riparian areas and speed up drainage clearance under a unified flood-response command.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has ordered the evacuation of residents from high-risk riparian areas along the Mathare, Ngong and Nairobi rivers as the county prepares for anticipated El Niño rains.
The directive forms part of a wider flood-preparedness effort that includes clearing drainage systems, desilting waterways and accelerating mitigation works in identified flood hotspots across the capital.
Sakaja issued the instructions on Monday during a meeting with national and county officials responsible for disaster preparedness and response. He also urged the teams to stay focused on their assignments despite what he described as political interference.
Residents in high-risk river areas targeted
The evacuation order covers residents living in areas along the three rivers considered particularly vulnerable to flooding. Moving people away from these locations is among the county’s priorities ahead of the expected heavy rainfall.
Sakaja maintained that the protection of riparian land was not open to negotiation. His instructions place the evacuation of residents in high-risk locations alongside infrastructure works aimed at reducing the potential impact of floods.
The measures come amid forecasts of increased rainfall during the October–December rainy season. The county is seeking to limit the risks to both residents and infrastructure by stepping up preparations before the rains.
Agencies directed to work under one command
The governor directed the agencies involved to operate through a unified command structure, with shared leadership and direction. The arrangement is intended to improve coordination across national and county teams and support a joint response to potential flooding.
Those involved include National Government Administration Officers, the National Police Service, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority and the Kenya National Highways Authority.
The Kenya Red Cross, Green Nairobi, disaster management teams and Nairobi borough administrations are also part of the preparedness effort. Sakaja instructed the participating bodies to function as a single team rather than pursue separate approaches to the flood threat.
Drainage clearance to prioritise flood hotspots
Sakaja asked the multi-agency teams to speed up drainage clearance, desilting and other ongoing flood-mitigation works. Areas already identified as flood hotspots are to receive priority as the county intensifies its preparations.
The instructions bring together two central tasks: addressing drainage problems in flood-prone neighbourhoods and moving residents away from vulnerable river corridors. Both are part of the county’s effort to reduce the damage that heavy rains could cause.
Warning against political interference, Sakaja urged officials to remain focused on their responsibilities. He emphasised coordinated action across the agencies as Nairobi prepares for the anticipated wet season, with evacuation and drainage works among the immediate priorities.
