Kiambu Township Ward is undertaking targeted drainage works in Kiamumbi, Township and Thindigua to address known water-flow bottlenecks and reduce the risk of flooding as the county prepares for the anticipated El Niño rains.
Speaking to Kenya News Agency, Ward Administrator Job Amisi said a multiagency team had intensified the clearing of silt, unblocking, repairing and constructing drainage systems and water pathways in areas considered vulnerable to flooding.
The team includes his office, the county’s environmental department, Kiambu Water and Sewerage Company, Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) and Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA).
“Our drainages are clogged and with this outcry about El Niño, we have intensified our efforts. We do clean-ups almost every day including waste collection and cleanup exercises, but now our scheduled cleanups have been overtaken by El Niño preparedness,” Amisi began.
For instance, in Kiamumbi, residents of Maakiou Estate had raised concerns over possible flooding from a nearby dam if the water overflowed and spilt over during the rainy season.
He said they engaged the estate’s management after establishing that alterations within the estate’s infrastructure planning had interfered with the dam’s inner flow channels, affecting the natural movement of water.
“We held an engagement with the estate’s management, and we are now redoing the drainage which existed before the estate came up so that it can bring back the flow to its roots,” he added.
In Kiambu Township, Amisi said while drainage maintenance is undertaken by KeNHA, the ward recently engaged the authority over flooding along a lane opposite Equity Bank.
He said during heavy rains, runoff from the direction of the county headquarters normally flows downstream and collects along the lane, affecting the bank and residential apartments in the area.
Following discussions with the authority, the ward administrator said, “KeNHA installed culverts and dug a trench to improve water flow and prevent a recurrence of the flooding during the rains.”
Similarly, in collaboration with KeNHA, the ward administration oversaw the repair of damaged drainage systems along Nova-Posta Road, behind Equity Bank, and the construction of gabions to stabilize a deteriorating section of the tarmac road and prevent rainwater from worsening the damage.
For Thindigua, particularly around Kasarini, the ward administration is digging a trench towards Kasarini Primary School to establish a drainage system.
“We had an issue with a developer there who had backfilled land around apartments, blocking an existing water pathway. So usually whenever it would rain the water would flow all the way to the school causing flooding,” he explained.
In partnership with the Kiambu Water and Sewerage company, the county has also traced manholes and incorporated the flusher unit to unblock Thindigua’s main sewerage lines.
Amisi warned traders against setting up structures over drainages and illegal dumping of waste, noting that they had already issued notices of demolition to traders who had defied this directive.
The ongoing works in Kiambu Township Ward are part of the local interventions aimed at improving water flow and reducing the risk of flooding in residential areas, businesses and public facilities.
Meanwhile, Kiambu County is already experiencing the onset of the October-December rainy season predicted by Kenya Meteorological Department. Acting Director of Kenya Met Edward Muriuki cautioned that rainfall patterns will vary across regions, urging residents to follow county-specific forecasts and prepare for possible flooding.
by Rose Muthoni and Grace Naishoo
