Should Nairobi Start Thinking About Canalization Other Than Demolitions?

What is Nairobi?

I know this question might sound crazy but until we answer it, the demolition of buildings said to be standing on ‘riparian land’ will never be the solution to the problems the city is facing.

The name Nairobi comes from the Maasai phrase ‘Enkare Nyrobi’ which means or translates to a place of ‘cool water.’ For those who were born yesterday and might not be aware, Nairobi, the place now inhabited with buildings all over, was once a swamp.

The swamp started being cleared in 1899 when a supply depot of the Kenya-Uganda Railway was set up by the British. For those who have done some History, this seems familiar. I am not here to give you History lessons though but History is what forms part of our present.

Demolitions and Regeneration

In the past few days, shivers have been flowing down the spines of property owners in the City in the Sun over the ongoing demolitions by the government.

So far, the government has demolished various notable buildings and structures such as the popular joint, Java and Shell Fuel Station in Kileleshwa, the Southend Mall, and the Ukay Centre among others. Over 4,000 others have been earmarked for demolition in an exercise that will take two months.

The owners of the demolished buildings, together with those that have already been demolished, ironically, have in their possession proper and legal land titles and all approvals issued technically by relevant authorities such as NEMA and WRA that authorized them to construct their buildings and structures. Others who built their houses before these authorities were formed have the necessary documentation to showcase compliance.

On the other hand, the Nairobi Regeneration Task Force has accused the owners of having constructed their buildings on riparian land and that no matter the ‘size of investment or destruction of property,’ the demolitions will go on. Has anyone seen and approved these Regeneration Plans? Have we seen what is obstructing and what needs to give way to build the Nairobi that we want and also look at the discharges and the flow of the entire streams and rivers in and around Nairobi?

President Uhuru Kenyatta has admitted having ‘lost many friends’ who have called him, astonished at the amount of property being destroyed despite ‘legal authorization’ from agents within the government. The president has said that the demolitions won’t stop. Although many people have cheered on and pledged their support for the president in the ‘fight against’ impunity, allow me to take you back in history and debate whether the demolitions are the best option?

Potential Flooding

The ongoing demolitions have been premised on the constant flooding of the city because of the structure that has been constructed on waterways. It is indeed true that there are some structures that have been constructed on the riverbed itself apart from and including the roads with culverts which are the biggest bottlenecks in most areas that slow down the flow of stormwater when it rains heavily and flooding is the result. That is a fact.

But, is it true to say that Nairobi floods because rivers have been blocked? Back to my History lesson above, Nairobi was originally a swamp. This fact alone is enough to drive a point home that Nairobi itself is a potential flooding zone with or without buildings on ‘riparian land.’ For lack of a better word, I could say, the whole of Nairobi is a ‘riparian’ land.

Before we embark on the demolitions, the government agencies should have asked themselves the following questions:

1. What causes flooding in Nairobi?
2. What is the solution to the flooding in Nairobi apart from the demolitions?
3. Have the buildings constructed on ‘riparian land’ been constructed legally or illegally? (With this, I mean with genuine and legal documents).
4. What is the economic impact of the ongoing demolitions?
5. What can be done to avert the impacts?
6. What is obstructing the Regeneration plans for the waterways to flow?

What we need are not random demolitions!

Some of the buildings being demolished have been around for years. They were approved by government agencies. The demolitions make it appear as though the buildings appeared overnight.

Allow me to say that the demolitions of buildings constructed without government authorization should go on but those that were authorized, should not be demolished. What we need to save Nairobi from floods is not the demolition of buildings but the proper management of our ENTIRE stormwater drainage systems.

Nairobi City is growing at a breakneck speed. Until we think of how we are going to manage the drainage system, the ongoing demolitions are ‘work in vain’ and a true ‘destruction’ of property.

The question is, is there a way Nairobi can manage the drainage and avoid all flooding without demolishing the buildings? The answer is yes and I will give you two case studies.

How can Nairobi manage the drainage system and avoid flooding?

My stand is Nairobi cannot manage to flood by demolishing buildings. There is another alternative and the government, if it has any wisdom and vision for the future, should adopt it.

River Thames, London

For those who are fond of reading or happened to have traveled to London, you are surely familiar with Thames River. Every time you fly over London, you cannot fail to notice this river winding and meandering like a snake across London, giving it the most beautiful and fascinating scenery ever. How has London managed the floods? A close look at Thames River, reveals buildings constructed as close as zero meters from the river.

Do these buildings experience of cause flooding? No. Why? The magic is through ‘canalization’. Canalization is the process of introducing weirs and locks to a river so as to secure a defined depth suitable for either navigation of smooth flow of water. It may also mean modifying the course of a stream so that it follows a restricted path. In the case of Nairobi, it is the process of introducing the canals beneath a building or a structure so that in the event of flooding water, water can flow freely to either a river of its defined path.

Back Home

Back home, it is true and it is a fact that Ukay Centre used to flood whenever it rained. That is a fact we cannot run away from. In this case, I think we should blame the engineers who never carried out a thorough study to realize that the place needed a canal. If Ukay Centre had been constructed with canals, no flooding would ever been witnessed. Demolishing it should have come as the last option but the government together with the management should have thought of the canalization first.

Who has used canalization in Kenya?

The order to demolish Oshwal Centre for Religion came as a surprise to many, me included. The fact is the Centre at on the river but the fact, also is that the Centre has never flooded. Why?

I visited the Oshwal Centre and was shown how it was constructed. The Centre is the only building in Nairobi built through the canalization process. Before its construction, a research was done and two canals, larger than the normal side run side by side. Just like London, Venice and most of Netherlands, canals are the savior of them all. This place has never flooded. All the regulations and approvals were done. It has canals and has been a landmark for years. Why demolish it? Stats show that 8,000 people (members) depend on this religious center including staff and families. Also, more than 2,000 children use the center’s fields. The center also has up to six international expos.