How Nairobians and corruption worsened weekend deluge

Torrential rains caused flooding in Nairobi, leading to fatalities and displacement of residents. March 7, 2026. [Nicholas Biwott, Standard]

Former Nairobi County Environment Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria has blamed residents for worsening flooding in the city, saying poor waste disposal, illegal construction, and encroachment on riparian land are major contributors to the recurring crisis.

Speaking on Spice FM on Tuesday, March 10, days after flooding in several parts of the capital, Mosiria said many Nairobi residents ignore drainage planning when putting up buildings and also fail to manage waste properly, leading to blocked waterways.

“Most of the problems are caused by we the residents of Nairobi. When we are constructing our houses, we ignore prioritising the drainage system. Waste management has also been a problem because people do not want to pay for garbage collection, so they throw waste anywhere,” he said.

However, he also noted that most of these challenges are historical and cannot be resolved immediately.

“Most of these problems are historical. You cannot bring down that infrastructure in one day because it is an investment, but we have a plan to reclaim riparian land and build proper drainage to accommodate the growing population,” he said.

Corruption
Urban planning expert Alfred Omenya, however, said that while some of the buildings are old, corruption and weak enforcement at City Hall have worsened the situation.

“We do not have a problem with the development plans themselves. The problem is the flouting of these plans with the approval of City Hall. Those who follow the law are now the minority, and when they try to be vocal, they are silenced,” Omenya said.

He noted that changes in zoning and uncontrolled development have reduced the city’s ability to absorb rainwater.

“For instance, Kilimani never used to flood when it had single-dwelling houses. In the 1990s, it was rezoned to allow high-rise development, but the development controls required only 50 per cent of the land to be built on. That framework still exists, but it is not being followed,” he said.

According to the expert, areas that previously absorbed water have been replaced by buildings, increasing the risk of floods.

“Now the open spaces that would have acted as sinks are gone. In areas like Nairobi West and South B, rivers are being forced into small culverts. It is like channeling a river into a bottle, and then we are surprised when flooding happens,” he said.

Mosiria also acknowledged corruption among enforcement officers but said efforts to address the vice are ongoing.

“Sometimes junior officers are compromised. You might find a senior person constructing a building and threatening officers. Someone even tried to compromise me with Sh2 million to allow construction of a plant in the middle of an estate near Ngara Girls, but I refused.” 

He maintained that the biggest challenge remains construction on riparian land, warning that demolitions will continue.

“There is a plan to repossess riparian land, so nobody will be spared. Even big buildings will go down. We are coming to bring down all buildings on riparian land,” he said.

The warning comes after weekend floods killed at least 42 people, with Nairobi recording the highest number of deaths at 26 after floodwaters swept through several parts of the city.

Ten more deaths were reported in counties in the former Eastern region.

Government data shows that at least 207 people were injured, 607 livestock were lost, and significant damage was caused to public infrastructure, with schools and other services disrupted.