NAIROBI, KENYA
Nairobi City County has thrown its full weight into a massive multi-agency flood mitigation operation across all 17 sub-counties to protect lives and property ahead of the anticipated October–December El Niño rains.
County Disaster Management Chief Officer Bramwell Simiyu revealed that City Hall has pinpointed 16 high-risk flood hotspots across the metropolis requiring urgent intervention.
Multi-agency task forces combining environmental officers, the county Green Army, and ClimateWorks personnel are actively widening, deepening, and unclogging critical drainage systems to handle expected torrential runoff.
Clearing Strategic Transit CorridorsTargeted drainage works are already active along major traffic arteries, including Mombasa Road, Chiromo, Kangundo Road, and Thika Road, where blocked stormwater paths historically cause severe gridlock and flash floods.
Simultaneously, City Hall is enforcing strict demolition orders against illegal structures erected on riparian land and drainage trenches, removing artificial choke points that block river flow.
“We have mapped out 16 critical hotspots across Nairobi that face severe flood risks. Our teams are already on the ground clearing drainage bottlenecks on major highways like Mombasa Road and Thika Road to prevent urban waterlogging,” said Bramwell Simiyu, Nairobi County Chief Officer for Disaster Management.
“Our goal is to ensure seamless coordination across all agencies so that emergency responses are swift and effective.”Command Center and Rapid Emergency Dispatch To back up physical infrastructure work, City Hall is scaling up its emergency response network.
Disaster units are undergoing joint tactical training to sharpen cross-agency coordination and slash emergency arrival times.24/7 Command Operations: A centralized emergency response center is being finalized to process distress calls and route immediate aid across the county.
Toll-Free Emergency Lines: Residents needing urgent flood assistance can reach dispatch teams directly through toll-free numbers 1199 and 1508.
Early Warning Sync: The county is coordinating real-time weather alerts and safety advisories with the Kenya Meteorological Department and national government updates.Official Safety Advisory County authorities are calling on Nairobi residents particularly those living in low-lying informal settlements and along riverbanks to stay alert, clear local refuse, and comply immediately with early evacuation notices issued by safety officials.
