By Jacquiline Wahu
A heavy downpour has left Kenya’s capital in a virtual standstill shaming both county and national governments for not improving the city’s drainage as the situation is not new but happens every other time there are heavy rains.
Even with an alert from Kenya Meteorological Department, the Central Business District (CBD) was adversely affected with ‘rivers’ running along the avenues, streets and lanes with Haile Selassie and Moi avenues, Ronald Ngala, Tom Mboya and Kimathi Street being barely passable.
Some businesses felt the heavy impact of the floods beginning from the matatu (PSV) industry as they got stuck and handed over passengers to boda boda (motor cycle) riders. The flow of people getting to town was also distressed, rendering business few or no customers compared to normal days.
City’s workforce was caught up unaware on their way to work where pedestrians had to get to the office in wet shoes and clothes as there were no dry spots along their routes. For some, the roads were blocked by the floods and had to wait by the roadside or bus stop until the waters subside.
Being digital savvy, the dwellers took to social media where they shared amateur photos and short videos of their locality and experience as they headed to their respective occupation.
On their posts, they beseeched the local government to fix the hub’s drainage system.
Nairobians must also play their part by not littering the city as it is the major cause of drainage clogging.
The weatherman had warned the country last week to expect heavy rains that may cause floods in various parts of the country including Kakamega, Nakuru Kericho, Kwale, Migori, Kajiado, Bomet, Kisii, and Narok.
Other parts of the country are experiencing the effects of the heavy rains interrupting normal businesses. For instance the case of Mai Mahiu road that split and left a huge gulley and motorists had to turn back from both sides and look for alternative routes causing a huge snarl up.
