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In Nairobi, when it rains it pours.
On Thursday and Friday, dozens of Kenyans were trapped in flood water on various roads in the city following a downpour.
Pictures emerged on Thursday of vehicles submerged in floods on Kenyatta Avenue, Forest road and Ojijo Road in Parklands, with Kenya Red Cross also warning motorists to avoid the Thika Super Highway.
On Friday, another round of downpour swept away a vehicle on Lusaka road, killing two people on board.
Along Lenana road off Ngong road, a perimeter wall crumpled four pedestrians who were escaping the heavy downpour on Friday.
In South C, over 200 vehicles were trapped on the roads for hours due to poor drainage.
Floods have become commonplace in the city, and road users have to brace for heavy traffic and floods whenever it rains.
Some have even spend nights trapped in floods following an evening of downpour.
Questions have been raised on what the city government is doing to arrest the situation and save city dwellers from this nightmare.
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On Saturday, Governor Evans Kidero took to social media to explain why city roads flood every time it rains, rendering them impassable.
Here is his take on the city floods:
1. Encroachment and obstruction of riparian reserves, natural water courses and drainage wayleaves and denial of access to drainage outfalls.
2. Indiscriminate disposal of solid waste consisting of excavated soils, construction debris and garbage onto water courses, road reserves and sewerage system restricting the proper functioning of the system.
3. Unsupervised poorly constructed and undersized storm water drainage infrastructure.
4. Passage of water pipes, telecommunication cables and other services through drainage infrastructure.
5. Depleted seepage zone due increased urban roof and impervious ground cover not matched by increase in capacity of the drainage system
6. Blocking of drains for urban agricultural activities
7. Informal Settlements on low lying areas and flood plains.
8. Deposition of soil into wetlands and marshy areas which affects land drainage and the ecosystem.
9. Physical developments and have preceded development of supporting infrastructure such as roads and drainage.
10. Blockage caused by debris trapped by grills installed across drains.
11. Landscaping on frontages which hinders discharge of storm water into the drain.
