Nakuru City Residents Worried that Drainages are not adequate for El Nino

Nakuru,

Friday, September 8, 2023

KNA by Merceline Khaemba/Eddah Khayanga

Residents of Nakuru City are worried that the current drainage infrastructure in the town will not live up to expectations in light of the forecasted El Nino rains.

The residents took City Manager Gitau Thabanja to task over the unfinished construction of drainage channels in Flamingo from Biashara and Kivumbini as well as the Mbogwambogwa drainage directed to the Nakuru National Park.

The residents also raised concern of run-off from Milimani and Prisons Road inundating people’s houses, noting that proper drainage systems were urgently required to address the perennial issue.

 Laban Musundi, an activist in Nakuru town, predicted that massive damages would be caused by the El Nino floods in areas like Shabaab if risk reduction measures were not taken in time.

 “We want to know how Nakuru City is prepared to receive the El Nino rains runoff that have in the past caused floods and what the manager is doing to ensure that Nakuru residents are not adversely affected by this phenomenon," said Musundi.

Thabanja assured the residents of their safety noting that a County Drainage Crisis Coordination Committee had been constituted to respond to any blockings in the drainage system, while fast tracking the completion of the ongoing constructions.

“The county has started the construction of the water ways in Flamingo and Mbogwambogwa at a cost of Sh110 million and we expect the works to be completed by end of September. Already works are at advanced stage on the St. Monica, KITI drainage among others across the city,” added Thabanja.

Thabanja noted that more funds were expected to be channeled to solving the drainage system in the town noting, "out of the Sh32 million funds we have been allocated for development of the city, we have decided to set a side Sh6 million for the drainage coverage”.

Martin Maina, a resident from Shaabab complained of the foot bridges that over flow during rains hence curtailing their movements from one side of the river to the other saying this was expected to worsen with the current rain season.

The residents called on all city dwellers to properly dispose their solid wastes to curb clogging of drainages, noting that the problem would worsen the already dire situation.

“Shabab has been seen as a backwater area over a long period of time because all the wastes from the drainage are always dumped there," he reiterated calling up for some development in their area instead of people pulling them down.

Courtesy; KNA