Nairobi woke to yet another watery nightmare on Saturday night as relentless downpours turned streets into rivers, paralysed traffic and triggered urgent rescue missions across the capital.
Major arteries became impassable within hours. Sections of the Nairobi Expressway at Museum Hill, Limuru Road, Bunyala Road, Lusaka Road, Uhuru Highway and swathes of the Central Business District disappeared under fast-moving floodwater. Dozens of vehicles were trapped, while long-distance travellers heading to South B, Emali and Mombasa were advised to postpone journeys or find alternate routes.
Low-lying neighbourhoods suffered the worst. Parklands, Kibera, Kilimani, South B, Kawangware, Lang’ata, Lavington, Eastleigh, Riruta, Lower Kabete and stretches of Ngong Road around Ngando reported widespread inundation. Homes, informal markets and entire streets vanished beneath muddy torrents as the Nairobi and Ngong rivers burst their banks.
Kenya Red Cross Aqua Rescue teams moved swiftly. Crews pulled 11 people to safety from a stranded matatu on Bunyala Road and rescued two young children from a flooded house in Kilimani, bringing the confirmed number of people saved to at least 13 so far.
The latest deluge arrives amid Kenya’s long-rains season, which has already claimed dozens of lives nationwide in recent weeks. Although no new fatalities were reported from Saturday night’s flooding, authorities warn that conditions remain highly dangerous.
Despite repeated meteorological warnings, inadequate drainage infrastructure and overflowing waterways continue to expose the city’s chronic vulnerability to even moderate rainfall.
What residents should do right now
– Avoid all flooded roads and riverbanks
– Follow updates from the Kenya Red Cross and government agencies
– Steer clear of low-lying zones
– Keep phones charged and prepare a basic emergency kit
Emergency responders remain on high alert with more rain forecast in the coming days. Nairobians are urged to exercise extreme caution and report any distress immediately.
Once again the capital finds itself asking the same painful question: how many more seasons must pass before drainage and urban planning finally match the reality of a changing climate?
SIAYA TODAY will continue to bring live updates on the unfolding Nairobi floods situation. Stay safe.
