KIDERO: We are on the way to making Nairobi safe

Over the past few weeks, many Nairobians, and indeed Kenyans from other parts of the country, have benefited from great acts of kindness and support from friends, neighbours, and even strangers as our city bore the brunt of the worst flooding in recent times. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• The fact of the matter is that, right from the beginning, Nairobi has been undeveloped and underprepared for the conditions and land on which it is built.
• The county has set up a Sh50 million emergency recovery fund to pay for unblocking clogged drainage systems in key parts of the city as well as repairing roads damaged in the flooding.
• Development in Kajiado and Kiambu can be consistent with and beneficial to Nairobi’s as we have a mutual interest in making sure our plans boost the living standards of the citizens.

By EVANS KIDERO

Over the past few weeks, many Nairobians, and indeed Kenyans from other parts of the country, have benefited from great acts of kindness and support from friends, neighbours, and even strangers as our city bore the brunt of the worst flooding in recent times.

In Nairobi, emergency services, both from the county and the central government, have battled to help with scant resources as they fought the floods.

What is clear is that we in government need to be better prepared to respond to crises. To those who have lost loved ones, I am truly sorry. We need to build a better and safer city, yet the challenge we face cannot be fixed quickly as Nairobi has never been fully prepared for flooding.

Our city started as a train station and colonial outpost. It was not envisaged that it would one day expand to accommodate four million people. It was located on swampland and was not expected to survive without proper drainage.

The fact of the matter is that, right from the beginning, Nairobi has been undeveloped and underprepared for the conditions and land on which it is built. To fix this, we will need Churchillian determination to first deliver remedies to the immediate situation and second — and longer-term — to fully implement the masterplan the county government has developed, the only such plan Nairobi has had since the last one created 67 years ago. This strategy outlines management of construction, planning, and service delivery to make Nairobi a better place to live.

A World Bank funded project is designing new storm water drainage facilities for selected parts of the city. The county has set up a Sh50 million emergency recovery fund to pay for unblocking clogged drainage systems in key parts of the city as well as repairing roads damaged in the flooding.

Some 10,000 servicemen, supported by 2,000 youths, have started work.

We require long-term solutions to this problem and will begin with ensuring that new buildings come with proper drainage systems.

In recent years high-rise buildings have been constructed on former forests, particularly in Ngong and Kiambu, which absorbed water.

These areas are now covered with offices, factories, and homes built with poor or no drainage. We must ensure, at pre-planning level, that all major constructions include proper drainage.

We need to work closely with the county governments of surrounding areas to ensure that their development plans do not conflict with our own. Development in Kajiado and Kiambu can be consistent with and beneficial to Nairobi’s as we have a mutual interest in making sure our plans boost the living standards of the citizens.

The county government is seeking funds to implement the masterplan. Nairobi, Kajiado, and Kiambu have been allocated additional resources from the central government, so the work can begin in earnest.