Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has criticised the leadership of Nairobi City County following deadly floods that struck parts of the capital, accusing the county government of lacking a rainstorm intervention policy and emergency response plan.
In a statement issued after the Friday night flooding, the Nandi County senator said the absence of a structured disaster response framework contributed to the lack of intervention during the crisis.
“It’s tragic that Nairobi City County does not have a rain storm intervention policy and emergency response plan that’s why there was no intervention by the county government of Nairobi on the last night flooding crisis,” Cherargei said.
Heavy rains pounded several parts of Nairobi, leading to flooding that resulted in loss of lives and destruction of property in affected neighborhoods.
Emergency services and national government agencies have since been responding to the situation as authorities assess the scale of the damage.
Cherargei described the situation as evidence of systemic failures within the county administration, saying the lack of preparedness exposed residents to unnecessary risk.
“This is an indictment that Nairobi City County is dysfunctional. We hope the national government interventions will resolve this crisis,” he said.
The senator also called on the county government to take responsibility for the impact of the floods, including compensating victims who lost family members or property during the disaster.
“The Nairobi City County must compensate for the lives lost and properties destroyed yesterday,” Cherargei said.
The remarks come amid growing concerns over flooding in the capital, which has frequently been blamed on poor drainage systems, blocked waterways and rapid urban development that has encroached on natural drainage paths.
Cherargei also criticised Edwin Sifuna, the senator representing Nairobi County, accusing him of failing to carry out his constitutional oversight role over the county government.
According to Cherargei, the Nairobi senator should focus more on monitoring service delivery within the county rather than national political matters.
“The irony is the senator Sifuna has failed to do oversight of the Nairobi City County as per his mandate but he is busy oversighting the broad-based government,” Cherargei said.
He questioned how Sifuna could claim to champion citizens’ welfare while residents in the capital face recurring challenges linked to inadequate emergency response systems.
“How can he say he promotes Linda Mwananchi yet mwananchi of Nairobi City County is suffering for lack of oversight over provision of emergency services,” Cherargei added.
So far, authorities say that at least 25 Kenyans have lost their lives as a result of the floods.
Authorities have urged residents to remain cautious as heavy rains continue in parts of the country, warning that further flooding could occur in low-lying areas and along major waterways.