Nairobi County Maps 227 Flood Hotspots Ahead of Expected El Nino Rains

NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi City County has identified 227 potential flood hotspots across all 17 sub-counties and designated 16 of them as very high priority zones as disaster teams intensify preparations for expected El Niño rains.

Governor Johnson Sakaja disclosed the findings during a disaster preparedness and response briefing, saying the mapping data will direct the placement of emergency response personnel, heavy machinery, drainage equipment and logistical support in the most vulnerable areas.

County officials estimate that worst-case flooding could affect up to 20,000 households, or roughly 100,000 people. The greatest concentration of risk is in informal settlements along the Nairobi, Mathare and Ngong rivers, where heavy runoff and river overflow have repeatedly caused displacement and damage in past rainy seasons.

The county is seeking Sh5.17 billion in emergency funding to finance urgent flood prevention works, drainage expansion, clearance of clogged waterways and temporary shelter arrangements. Technical teams are already completing critical infrastructure clearance and desilting operations aimed at reducing urban flash flooding across the capital.

Sakaja urged residents living in immediate riparian zones to move voluntarily to safer ground before severe downpours begin. The county has partnered with the Kenya Alliance of Residents Associations (KARA) to support community mobilisation, neighbourhood clean-ups, drainage clearance and the distribution of early warning alerts.

Five specialised multi-agency technical teams have been formed to coordinate logistics, drainage desilting, health interventions, emergency evacuations and traffic management.

The Kenya Meteorological Department projects a 96 to 98 per cent probability of enhanced rainfall during the October–December season. The combination of high rainfall likelihood, dense informal settlements and known river corridors has driven the county’s accelerated preparedness drive.

Residents in the mapped high-risk zones are being advised to monitor official alerts and heed relocation guidance where issued.

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