the Governor stated that once the problem of poor drainage is fixed, city residents will not have to bear the brunt of flooding/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, mar 16 – As heavy rainfall continues to wreck havoc, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has directed the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) to hasten the process of unlocking the drainage system all over the county.
In a statement, the Governor stated that once the problem of poor drainage is fixed, city residents will not have to bear the brunt of flooding.
He said that emergency teams are on standby in case the situation deteriorates.
“My dear people of Nairobi, my heart goes out to all of you who have been forced to bear the dire conditions brought about by the rains that have been pounding the city heavily in the recent past. It is indeed sad that all over the country the situation is similar and Kenyans have been forced to deal with damage, floods, road snarl ups and even death,” he stated.
He stated that City Hall will be doing everything in its power to reduce the effects of the floods.
“Rains are supposed to be a blessing and not a curse. Towards this end, my government has hit the ground running to mitigate against the adverse effects we have seen since the rains started. As a start, I have today directed the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company to hasten the process of unlocking the drainage system all over the county,” he said.
He said that once the problem of poor drainage is solved, city residents will not have to bear the brunt as they have continued to do.
“In the same vein, I am shocked that some sh10 billion set aside by the previous administration for unblocking the drainage system did not go to the intended use but ended up in the pockets of some unscrupulous characters. I am putting them on notice that these monies must be recovered through sweat and toil and put into good use for Nairobi residents.”
He stated that his long term plan would include water harvesting.
“As my long term plan, I will be exploring ways of how we can harvest this water and put to use when the dry season- which is sure to follow soon- catches up with us. It is indeed heart wrenching that we leave all this water to go to waste yet we can store it and with good treatment we can have it for our domestic use,” he stated.
His sentiments come as at least seven people were killed in flash floods as heavy rains continue to pound various parts of the country, causing devastating effects.
In Kitui, five people on a lorry ferrying charcoal were swept away by raging waters while crossing a river while two others were swept away in Narok and Mwingi on Wednesday.
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