Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson has waived the application and approval processes for minor building repairs across the city as part of measures to help residents prepare for the anticipated El Niño rains.
The waiver will allow Nairobi residents to undertake minor repairs, including putting up gutters and making improvements to their houses and compounds, without having to go through the usual application and approval processes.
Speaking during an inspection of El Niño preparedness works in various parts of the city, Governor Sakaja said he had instructed the County Secretary to issue a formal communication on the waiver, urging residents to use the opportunity to prepare their homes ahead of the rains.
“I have waived the application and approval processes for minor building repairs in Nairobi from now until the onset of the El Niño rains. This will give our people an opportunity to put up gutters and undertake minor repairs to their houses and compounds as they prepare for the coming rains,” Sakaja said.
The Governor spoke as the county intensified flood mitigation measures, including the deployment of additional earth-moving machinery to identified hotspots and the widening, deepening and desilting of drainage channels.
Sakaja said illegal dumping remained one of the biggest challenges undermining the county’s efforts to improve drainage and prevent flooding.
He said county teams had discovered mattresses, blankets, plastics and other waste dumped in waterways, blocking the flow of stormwater and increasing the risk of flooding.
“Illegal dumping remains a major challenge to our drainage efforts. We have found mattresses, blankets, plastics and other waste blocking waterways. Our enforcement officers are on high alert, and those found dumping illegally will face tough action,” he said.
The Governor warned that individuals found dumping waste illegally would face tough enforcement measures as the county moves to protect drainage corridors and waterways.
He also issued a stern warning to private waste collectors accused of collecting garbage from households and subsequently dumping it in open spaces.
“To private garbage collectors dumping waste in open spaces, your days are numbered. We cannot have the Green Army cleaning Nairobi every day, only for private trucks to dump waste indiscriminately. Your licences will be withdrawn permanently if you are found doing this,” Sakaja said.
He warned that private garbage collection companies found engaging in illegal dumping risk having their licences permanently withdrawn.
The Governor said Nairobi’s preparedness efforts were being coordinated through a multi-agency approach, bringing together the County Government and key national and humanitarian agencies, including the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), Kenya Red Cross and the Nairobi Rivers Commission.
Sakaja has been chairing the multi-agency preparedness efforts as the city steps up interventions to minimise the impact of the anticipated heavy rains.
He said the city’s preparedness strategy would be anchored on a “One County, One Plan, One Command” approach, bringing together different agencies under a coordinated response structure.
“As part of our El Niño preparedness, we are bringing all agencies together under a ‘One County, One Plan, One Command’ approach so that we can optimise the resources available and guarantee the safety and well-being of Nairobians,” Sakaja said.
The county has also established an Emergency Operations Centre and a dedicated emergency hotline, 1508, through which residents can report flooding and other emergencies.
Sakaja said the county had identified 27 drop-off points and shelters where residents could be evacuated should the situation require relocation.
A four-day multi-agency simulation exercise is also planned later this month to test Nairobi’s emergency response systems and assess the readiness and coordination of the various agencies involved.
The Governor said the county was continuing to work with the multi-agency teams to carry out drainage clearance, vegetation removal, desilting and other interventions across the city.
“We are intensifying the unclogging of drainage systems, deepening and widening waterways, clearing vegetation and removing waste from drainage corridors,” he said.
Sakaja said the interventions would continue across Nairobi as the county seeks to minimise the impact of heavy rains and protect residents living in flood-prone areas.
The measures come as Nairobi steps up its preparedness ahead of the expected El Niño rains, with the county urging residents to take early precautions, including keeping drainage channels around their homes clear and installing gutters to improve stormwater management.
