Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has called on residents of Nairobi to take responsibility for proper waste disposal, warning that careless dumping of plastics, bottles, banana peels, and other garbage in drainage systems is worsening flooding in the city.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Sunday, Sakaja said the county cannot tackle the problem alone and urged Nairobians to support ongoing efforts to improve drainage and environmental management.
The governor stressed that flooding cannot be solved without a collaborative effort between the county, national government, and residents.
“We must all see our part. Even as it flooded, by morning it all moved because every day my green army is clearing the drainage,” he said.
Sakaja urged Nairobians to act responsibly in their neighborhoods, warning that neglecting waste management not only affects the environment but also contributes to costly flooding.
“Come out, join us because it’s our environment, and it will affect you personally when you don’t do it,” he added.
Sakaja emphasized that addressing Nairobi’s drainage and environmental challenges requires patience, resources, and public cooperation, insisting that there is no quick fix for the city.
“We can’t just whine. We have to do it. And we’ll do it,” he said, promising continued enforcement and improvement across the capital.
He also defended the approval process for new developments in Nairobi, highlighting that many buildings in Nairobi are constructed through formal planning processes, with approvals overseen by the Urban Planning Technical Committee, which includes representation from the architectural institution, engineering board, residents’ associations, and civil aviation authorities.
“People assume that there’s just somebody in City Hall who says, ‘Let me approve, let me get some money.’ No. The associated infrastructure must be considered, and developers must restore roads and maintain them during construction,” he said.
The governor noted that developers who fail to invest in public infrastructure will not receive occupation certificates.
He gave examples of roads such as Johnny Avenue and Wood Avenue, where developers have committed to repairing damage caused during construction.
Sakaja also pointed to major interventions along the Nairobi River, including dredging, river training, and infrastructure upgrades, funded through the city’s enhanced budget.
“Imagine in one day of signing, we got 80 billion from a 40 billion budget, 80 billion worth of interventions,” he said, noting that the work has already improved water flow and is expected to be completed by January 15 next year.
The Governor’s call comes as the death toll from the floods that struck on Friday evening has risen to 43, with heavy rains continuing to cause widespread destruction across the country.
In Nairobi, the rains and flooding have also disrupted water supply to several neighborhoods after key distribution pipelines were damaged, the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company announced.
In a customer notice, the utility said: “Nairobi Water wishes to notify its customers that the heavy rains from last night and consequent flooding have damaged several water distribution lines, affecting water supply to the following areas."
