Kidero sets aside Sh50m to unclog Nairobi drainage
City Hall has set aside a Sh50 million emergency recovery fund for clearing blocked drains in a bid to avert a repeat of flooding and power blackouts experienced on Monday and Tuesday night.
This came as the Devolution ministry also deployed the recently graduated National Youth Service personnel to unclog the city’s drains .
“This cash will be used largely to clear and unblock clogged drainage channels and to re-construct road works that have been destroyed by the rains,” said Nairobi infrastructure executive Mohamed Abdullahi.
Devolution secretary Anne Waiguru ordered the immediate deployment of the 10,000 servicemen who are still in camps following an inspection of damage caused by Tuesday’s downpour.
SLUM YOUTH HIRED
“This is a short-term measure to offer reprieve to commuters and motorists,” she said. The servicemen will be assisted by 2,000 youths from Fuata Nyayo slum who will also be hired to assist with clearing the drains.
Tuesday’s floods left thousands of homes in Nairobi without power after two substations were submerged in a heavy downpour that also flooded multiple roads.
In a statement, Kenya Power said that the substations located in Nairobi West and Karen (near Bomas of Kenya) were switched off to protect equipment from possible damage and for safety reasons.
Thousands of commuters also spent hours on congested roads with many cars submerged by the rising floods.
A Makini School bus with children on board stalled near the South C Mosque and was almost swept away by raging waters that followed a two-hour downpour.
DOHA TRIP
A statement from Governor Evans Kidero who cut his trip to Doha short blamed higher than expected rains for the flooding, adding that the county is doing all it can to clear the drains.
“It is worthy to note that the rains we are currently experiencing are higher by 10 per cent vis a vis rainfall received last year around this time. This is worse than the El Nino rains experienced in Nairobi in 1997,” he said.
Most city residents have, however, pointed out that the flooding is mainly caused by the inadequate drainage system and people who were allowed to build on waterways by City Hall and the National Environment Management Authority (Nema ).
“In the long term, Nairobi County needs to address encroachment of riparian land and storm flood plains,” Ms Waiguru said.
The weatherman has predicted that the ongoing rains will go on for at least the next four days.
A five day-forecast released on Tuesday by the Kenya Meteorological Service shows that the city will continue receiving showers up to Sunday.
Source: Business Daily