Nairobi's flood crisis driven by poor planning, not just heavy rain

Vehicles submerged in the river along Enterprise Road, Nairobi, due to the floods following the heavy downpour on March 6, 2026.[Benard Orwongo,2026]

Nairobi's persistent flooding is being fueled by decades of poor urban planning, environmental degradation and weak governance, not just heavy rainfall, a new report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) has revealed.

The report, dubbed Flooding in Nairobi's Informal Settlements: Advancing Equitable and Resilient Solutions, warns that unless the city addresses the underlying causes of flooding, thousands of residents will continue to face displacement, disease and loss of livelihoods whenever heavy rains occur.