Nairobi Flooded, Travelers Crying

On Thursday evening, Nairobi was literary flooded once again exposing the pathetic and miserable side of the city’s architectural planning.

The rain that pounded the city for more than two hours continuous before taking a break and resuming the whole night, left most places inaccessible. Thika Superhighway was turned into a river. Small cars were partially submerged and pedestrians could not walk. The traffic jam stretched miles away and the only movement was that of a snail-like.

Public service vehicle owners took the advantage to make a kill. The fare suddenly doubled. From Westlands to the Nairobi CBD for instance, instead of the normal 20 to 30 shillings, the amount jumped to between 50 and 60 shillings. From Nairobi CBD to Githurai 45, the normal amount is usually between 50 and 60 shillings but yesterday, the amount was oscillating between 120 and 130 shillings. From Ngara to Pangani, a distance that often goes for between 10 and 30 shillings was now between 50 and 70 shillings. This is despite the prevailing low fuel prices.

Juja Road was and is still a total mess. There was water everywhere. The road has huge holes that long lost their right to be called potholes. Motorists find it hard to maneuver around these holes bringing the traffic to a standstill. Vehicles could literary not move and there was confusion all over. This coupled with the massive garbage dumped on three on three illegal dumping sites along the road made matters worse.

Businesses came to a standstill. There was power blackout in most quarters and most people had to close their businesses early. Nairobi generally has poor drainage. Almost every drainage is blocked and this is often witnessed whenever it rains. The County Government has always gone mute on the issue and the situation is only getting worse.

Article by Juma Fred.