Sonko blames poor drainage system for Nairobi deluge
Cart pushers carry pedestrians through the flooded Race Course Road in Nairobi on March 15, 2018. Governor Mike Sonko Thursday apologised to residents for the suffering they are currently going through following heavy rains that have been pounding the city. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- He stated that the main cause of the preferential flash floods in the county is poor drainage.
- Governor Sonko accused the Kidero administration of squandering Sh10 billion meant for clearing the drainage system across the county.
- He said that his administration is exploring ways of harvesting rain water and putting it to use during the dry season.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has apologised to residents for the suffering they are currently going through following heavy rains that have been pounding the city.
Governor Sonko, in a statement, said that his administration has hit the ground running to mitigate the adverse effects of the rains.
"It is indeed sad that all over the country the situation is similar and Kenyans have been forced to deal with damage, floods, road snarl ups and even death. Rains are supposed to be a blessing and not a curse," Mr Sonko said.
He stated that the main cause of the preferential flash floods in the county is poor drainage.
UNLOCK DRAINAGE
As a consequence, Mr Sonko has directed the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company to hasten the process of unlocking the drainage system all over the county.
"We all know that the main problem is poor drainage and once we fix this the city residents will not have to bear the brunt as they have continued to do," he said.
The governor also tore into the administration of former governor, Dr Evans Kidero, accusing it of squandering Sh10 billion which had been set aside for clearing the drainage system across the county.
SH10 BILLION
"I am shocked that some Sh10 billion set aside by the previous administration for unblocking the drainage system did not go to the intended use but ended up in the pockets of some unscrupulous characters.
"I am putting them on notice that these monies must be recovered through sweat and toil and put into good use for Nairobi residents," said Mr Sonko.
At the same time, he has said that he has set up a round-the-clock emergency team to respond to the situation in the county as rains continue to fall.
"My emergency teams are forever ready on a 24-hour standby alert to serve you in case the situation deteriorates," he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Sonko has said that his administration is exploring ways of harvesting rain water and putting it to use during the dry season.
"As my long term plan, I will be exploring ways of how we can harvest this water and put it to use when the dry season, which is sure to follow soon, catches up with us. It is indeed heart-wrenching that we leave all this water to go to waste yet we can store it and with good treatment we can have it for our domestic use," said the City Hall boss.
