Nairobi City residents have been assured of their safety ahead of the expected El Nino rains. This was announced during a briefing by the county government which outlined the measures it has put in place measures in readiness for the rains.
Nairobi County Acting County Secretary Patrick Analo, speaking during the update briefing on El Nino preparedness, said that the main objective of the meeting was to discuss how to coordinate disaster response mechanisms for the expected flooding as a result of El Nino.
Analo also announced that the county has reviewed the catalog of resources that various players have mobilized and then mapped these in terms of personnel, equipment, and machinery.
“We have discussed the need to go into details in terms of identifying the risk-prone areas, and how to cover them when the risk comes,” stated Analo.
Coordination efforts
Simiyu stressed that coordination by all county departments is central to creating awareness and ensuring adequate feedback mechanisms to allow them to interact with the public.
“The purpose of this meeting was to ensure we have coordination between the national government and the county government,” said Simiyu.
Simiyu also briefed the team on the Nairobi City County Marshall Plan that was launched by governor Sakaja, which led to the deployment of a 3,000-strong ‘green’ army. The army has been at the forefront of cleaning the drainage system and managing garbage collection, aspects which mostly lead to urban flooding.
Depending on their size and severity, urban floods can roll boulders and vehicles, tear out trees, destroy buildings and bridges, bring down power lines, cover roads, and fill basements. Floodwater may at times rise to unexpected levels in a short time, reaching heights of up to 6 meters.
“As a county government leadership, we are keen on ensuring that the exercise goes on smoothly and in good time. We are in sync with other key actors, particularly in terms of infrastructure interventions,” Simiyu said.
“We also have a plan that will take care of the social and humanitarian response, which explains why we have the Kenya Red Cross. Our teams will ensure our drainage system is in place and that water will flow with minimum damage to the public,” he added.
Prepositioned stocks
Simiyu further said that the county government was prepared to ensure that it stocks adequate emergency supplies for supporting displaced and affected persons.
The county government would also identify areas that need evacuation, and identify alternative accommodation within social halls, churches, and schools where the people affected will be accommodated.
“In case of an emergency, people can reach out to the Red Cross through their helpline number, 1199, which is a toll-free number,” said Simiyu.
On the issue of mapping hotspots, the county government has already identified and mapped 463 hotspots across the different sub-counties.
Over 200,000 people to be affected by El Nino in Nairobi
The 463 areas mapped as prone to flooding include Njiru and Ruai settlements along the Nairobi river. The other areas include informal settlements stretching from Kibera to Mathare and Waruku in Kileleshwa.
“At the moment, without disclosing so many details, we are working on a budget that will cater for the 200,000 people who are likely to be affected by the floods,” said Simiyu.
The administration has also come up with a structured plan to sensitise the inhabitants of these hotspot areas that relocation is in their own interest.
The county leadership informed stakeholders that they have identified alternative temporary shelters where the residents can be accommodated.
