Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has directed the development of a quick 48-hour response plan to address flooding, choked drainage, and the damaged road network across the city in the wake of the heavy rains.
The governor directed the development of the response plan in a high-level meeting at City Hall, with principal secretaries and representatives from various national agencies dealing with roads, urban management, and emergency response.
Sakaja wants the response plan to identify flood hotspots, drainage problem hotspots, and estimate the cost of repairing the road network and infrastructure.
“This response plan should facilitate immediate interventions to restore normalcy in the affected areas,” Sakaja told the group.
He also asked for a comprehensive report on the work to be done, the agencies to undertake the repairs, and the cost of the emergency interventions.
To expedite the process, the county government should engage KURA (Kenya Urban Roads Authority), KeNHA (Kenya National Highways Authority), and KeRRA (Kenya Rural Roads Authority) in the process.
The governor asked for the use of mapping technology to identify problem areas across the city.
“Review the county engineers’ report, have it verified by KURA, involve KeNHA and KeRRA for the city roads, and see how Google and ESRI can assist,” Sakaja told the officials.
In the meeting, the response team agreed that repairing and re-carpeting flood-damaged roads would open up major roads as soon as possible. They also discussed the installation of new streetlights in informal settlements, major motorways, and residential areas to improve safety, especially in flood-prone areas.
The team is expected to meet again on Thursday to discuss the report and approve the emergency interventions.