The Nairobi County government unveiled Monday a preparedness plan for the El Nino rains predicted by the Kenya Meteorological Department.
Kenya Meteorological predicted that heavy rains will be experienced in many parts of Kenya from September 2023 to January 2024.
In preparation for the rains, the Nairobi County government has put in place a marshal plan to ensure the safety of city residents amid the heavy downpour.
“The first and most important measure is the cleaning and draining of our drainages to avoid flooding.
The recruitment of 3,500 environmental officers to clean and unclog the drainages goes a long way to ensure our preparedness for the El Nino rains,” Sakaja said while unveiling the County’s plan on Monday.
He said he had asked the directorate in the construction sector to map out unsafe buildings, where residents will be evacuated before the flooding begins.
“We will identify buildings that pose a flooding threat and we will act accordingly, without fear or favor,” he said.
The county is setting up an emergency number for residents to report El Nino emergencies.
The number will be announced later.
“We’ve bought 27 new work trucks, fire trucks, flushing units, ambulances, excavators, and exhausters,” Sakaja said.
The County government has also committed to reducing ambulance response time to nine minutes.
Among others, major drainage will be unclogged in a multi-agency exercise.
Major slums will be targeted in the exercise.
Kenya Meteorological Department has warned of heavy downpours across the country from October to December, owing to the El Nino climate phenomenon.
There are fears of flooding in parts of the city due to the rains.
This is among others because of poor drainage systems.
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