Nairobians asked to report overflowing sewers to prevent cholera outbreak
With several roads within Nairobi County having been rendered impassable due to heavy rains that have pounding the city in the last few days, residents have now been asked to report cases of overflowing sewers and blocked drainages for urgent action to prevent cholera outbreak.
Nairobi County Chief Officer, Disaster Management, Bramwell Simiyu, has also warned that due to increased rainfall, cases of cholera outbreak may spike because of the poor drainage and sewerages.
To that end, he said the county government has put in place several measures to avert a possible health crisis. This follows a meeting between the Inter-sectoral disaster management caucus and all County Chief Officers.
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“I want to echo Governor Johnson Sakaja’s call to Nairobi residents to remove all encroachment on riparian way-leaves, especially in Kileleshwa and Lavington estates. Let us avoid dumping solid waste in natural water courses and rivers,” Simiyu said.
Some of the recommendations made by the team include setting up of an emergency fund and establishment of an emergency fuel system to facilitate timely response during emergency and disasters. Those living on flood-prone areas have also been advised to move to higher grounds.
“We sat as a team in order for us to come up with a plan that will lay emphasis on the need to have a rapid response mechanism in place and the need to map out disaster prone areas and the importance of constant communication to Nairobians on the mapped out areas in order to mitigate flood related disasters,” Simiyu said.
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The Chief Officer also emphasized the need for residents to work closely with the county’s enforcement team to help with evacuating those living along river banks to avert loss of life and property. The team is also tasked with providing security during mitigation and asset recovery.
City residents have been asked to pass useful emergency information to the County Disaster Management Team through the phone numbers +254 20 2344599 or +254 20 2222181.
According to a February 14 World Health Organisation (WHO) report, Kenya has recorded 4,821 cholera cases and 85 deaths since the outbreak on October 10, 2023, with concern being raised over lack of reagents to test for the illness in several counties. Nairobi County leads with 29 deaths, followed by Tana River with 17.
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