Sakaja waives approval for minor repairs as Nairobi prepares for El Niño rains

NAIROBI,Kenya Sep 23 – Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has waived application and approval requirements for minor building repairs as the county steps up preparations for the anticipated El Niño rains.

The waiver allows residents to undertake minor works such as installing gutters and making repairs to houses and compounds without going through the usual county application and approval procedures.

Speaking during an inspection of flood-prevention works across the city, Mr Sakaja said he had directed the County Secretary to issue a formal communication on the waiver.

He urged Nairobi residents to take advantage of the measure and make early preparations to protect their homes from potential flooding.

“I have waived the application and approval processes for minor building repairs in Nairobi from now until the onset of the El Niño rains,” Mr Sakaja said.

“This will give our people an opportunity to put up gutters and undertake minor repairs to their houses and compounds as they prepare for the coming rains.”

The governor spoke as the county deployed additional earth-moving equipment to flood-prone areas and intensified the widening, deepening and desilting of drainage channels.

However, Mr Sakaja said illegal dumping remained a major obstacle to the county’s flood mitigation efforts, with waste blocking waterways and drainage systems.

He said county teams had recovered mattresses, blankets, plastics and other solid waste dumped in waterways, warning that enforcement officers would take action against those found violating waste disposal regulations.

“Illegal dumping remains a major challenge to our drainage efforts. We have found mattresses, blankets, plastics and other waste blocking waterways,” he said.

Mr Sakaja also turned his attention to private waste collectors accused of collecting garbage from households before dumping it in open spaces.

He warned that companies found engaging in the practice would risk losing their operating licences permanently.

“To private garbage collectors dumping waste in open spaces, your days are numbered. We cannot have the Green Army cleaning Nairobi every day, only for private trucks to dump waste indiscriminately. Your licences will be withdrawn permanently if you are found doing this,” he said.

The county’s preparedness programme is being implemented through a multi-agency framework bringing together the Nairobi County Government and national and humanitarian agencies, including the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), Kenya Red Cross and the Nairobi Rivers Commission.

Mr Sakaja said the response would be guided by a “One County, One Plan, One Command” approach aimed at coordinating resources and emergency operations.

“As part of our El Niño preparedness, we are bringing all agencies together under a ‘One County, One Plan, One Command’ approach so that we can optimise the resources available and guarantee the safety and well-being of Nairobians,” he said.

The county has established an Emergency Operations Centre and a dedicated emergency hotline, 1508, for residents to report flooding and other emergencies.

It has also identified 27 drop-off points and shelters where residents can be evacuated if flooding or other emergencies require relocation.

A four-day multi-agency simulation exercise is scheduled for later this month to test the city’s emergency response systems and assess coordination among participating agencies.

The county is also continuing with drainage clearance, vegetation removal, desilting and the removal of waste from waterways and drainage corridors.

Sakaja urged residents, particularly those in flood-prone areas, to take precautions by keeping drainage channels around their homes clear and installing gutters to improve stormwater management.