El Nino rains put Nairobi on alert as flood fears return once more

Vehicles partially submerged at the Aga Khan parking lot in Nairobi following heavy rains on March 8, 2026. [File, Standard]

As the clock ticks towards the anticipated El-Nino rains in October, the question that is lingering in the minds of many is whether the country is adequately prepared to handle any eventualities.

More worrying is whether Nairobi, is prepared enough, since the recent downpour claimed lives and damaged property. Yet it was just above-average rain.

The forecast comes at a time when memories of unforeseen rains that left 20 people dead in 2025 are still fresh in the minds of Nairobi residents with others still nursing lifetime scars after being rescued while trapped in floods.

The rains that pounded the city in March 2025 lasted for about 10 hours, leaving the city centre and several estates marooned by floods.

For the first time, the floods swept through from Uhuru Park making way along Uhuru Highway heading towards Kirinyaga Road, carried away vehicles caught up in traffic and others that had been parked by owners waiting for the rains to subside.

A similar scenario was witnessed in April 2024 after above-average rainfall tore through houses in Mathare slums killing four people and displacing about 7,000 families in the area.

On the night of March 24, 2024, a police officer attached to Kamukunji Police Station was swept away by raging floods at Machakos Country Bus.

Constable David Chesire was on duty on the fateful night after a heavy downpour that left many parts of the city flooded.

On a normal patrol with his colleague, they spotted a mother and children marooned in one of the kiosks around Machakos Country Bus.

It is reported that Chesire sprang into action to save the mother and children.

But when he was going back to lock the kiosk, he slipped into a manhole and he was swept away by the raging floods and his body has never been recovered.

And now experts are warning El-Nino could have adverse effects not only on humans but also the infrastructure and livestock.

Nairobi County government says it is ready for any eventuality with about Sh2 billion set aside for expansion of drainage systems and flood-mitigation works being accelerated across identified hotspots.

Some areas that are being focused on in terms of expansion of drainage systems include Mombasa Road–Bunyala Junction corridor and Globe Roundabout.

"We don’t want people to panic. We want people to be proactive, to listen to information and to work with us. The multi-agency team is in place, and we are preparing before the rains intensify,” governor Sakaja said

The works include opening and deepening drainage channels, clearing obstructions and improving storm-water flow to prevent a repeat of previous flooding.

However, Nairobi is getting special focus owing to a special team in terms of its preparedness for the phenomena.

Omwenga Mairura, the chairman of town planners, argues that during the heavy floods and the heavy rains, everything is really at risk but the risk increases with the bigger or taller the buildings, the higher the risks.

He explains that as it rains there are heavy winds and storms that could expose high rise buildings but those at risk are the ones sitting along the riparian areas.

Omwenga observes that while the city experienced heavy downpour that claimed lives in 2025, it is still worrying that there are several developments that are still at risk.

The City planner points out that what should concern the city residents and government are buildings along the riparian reserves citing that proper assessment should be done and their safety.

“We still see some buildings and settlements along the riparian reserves. One might be able to say that really we are not there yet but can do better,” he says

He is however, optimistic that the efforts that the government is putting in place will at least reduce those risks.

“But let us not wait for government in areas where we actually, in our own capacity, were able to assess the dangers,” he observes

Adding: “we some areas which by the way they may not be having a river at the moment or water but suddenly you find the dry valleys carrying all the water, stormy water. So I think we should just be prepared,”

Alex Moseti, a property valuer echoes Omwenga’s views warning that during flooding maybe some, the structure might be affected like the buildings that are constructed without taking into consideration the places might be flooded sometimes.

But he is worried about the Nairobi Dam within the High Rise area in Lang’ata that has been dry all year and has been encroached and people have constructed there.

“If there's a lot of rain, the dam might gain its original ground, affecting the properties in the neighborhood,” he warns

Nairobi County Chief Officer for Disaster Management Bramwel Simiyu says over 200 flood hotspots have been identified as the county puts up some measures ahead of the rainy season.

Some of the areas that have been mapped include South C, Kangemi, Ruai, Mathare belt, Mukuru, Kangemi, Parklands areas and sections of Runda estate.

“We are borrowing from the lessons we've gone through over the past few years. And we are now fully alert and prepared for these rains,” the Chief officer says

Adding that: “Our priority right now is to protect lives, protect properties, and minimize disruption of essential services. We are partnering with various other agencies and stakeholders, as well as the general public, to ensure that you're not caught unawares this time around,”

Simiyu says for more than a month experts from various agencies and the county government have been engaging in preparations ahead of the El-Nino rains.

“We have identified close to 237 hotspots across the 17 sub-counties. And we have adopted a two-pronged approach. The first, of course, focuses on infrastructure management, the drainage system, the waterways,” he says.

 “Over the past few months to clear them, to clean them, in conjunction with other national government agencies, such as the UNHCR, to ensure that we do not experience the blockages and other impediments that interfere with the free flow of mud and water,” says the Chief Officer.

In some parts of the city, mostly around Kamukunji areas, the county in collaboration with the county are removing buildings that have been constructed along the water pathways.

“Our second strategy is more behavioral or emergency response on the human response aspect, to be able to create sensitization across the general public, more so for those that stay in the high-risk areas,” Simiyu.

At the same time, he says the department has been working closely to establish community emergency response teams and putting in place early warning systems that will allow the communities to be prepared whenever these rains are coming.

Other sources from City Hall say community social halls, churches, open public land and some institutions are being engaged to act as rescue centres in case of any eventualities.

Among the plans is to identify warehouses to store food for the victims to avoid cooking in the camps meant to host displaced residents.

This is said to limit the chances of vandalism and destruction of facilities and possible cases of fire outbreaks.

It is said that 21 kitchens used by schools under the Dishi na County programme will supply food to the flood victims in identified rescue centres.