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Nairobi County Chief Environmental Officer Geoffrey Mosiria has exposed the real cause of the flooding witnessed in Parklands on Friday, November 29, 2024.

Mosiria, who was forced to visit the area following uproar from a section of residents, claimed that the flooding in Parklands is majorly due to the diverting of rivers.

The Environmental Chief Officer pointed an accusing finger at some developers within the Nairobi suburb area for putting up apartments without considering leaving the designated water course.

In the process, he argued that rainwater had been forced to flow on the road due to the blocking and diverting of the river course.

At the same time, he accused some developers of putting up their structures on riparian land leading to the recent cases of flooding experienced in major parts of the city.

Mosiria made the revelation after visiting several Parklands Avenues which were recorded as having flooded threatening to sweep away vehicles plying the routes.

“This is the current situation in parklands where developers have constructed above the river and diverted the river to the county drainage system, causing massive flooding on the road, As President Ruto promised to reclaim all riparian land very soon this problem will be a thing of the past,” his statement read in part.

He however lamented that the county is facing hurdles and resistance from the members of the public is bringing down some of the structures built on riparian land.

Nonetheless, he vowed to push for the reclaiming of the riparian land.

This is the current situation in parklands where developers have constructed above the river and diverted the river to the county drainage system, causing massive flooding on the road, As President Ruto promised to reclaim all riparian land very soon this problem will be a… pic.twitter.com/eUuKmWJBNW

— Geoffrey Mosiria (@HonMosiria) November 29, 2024

Heavy rains

The heavy wreaked havoc in many parts of the country with Nairobi being among the counties that were left exposed.

The roads were rendered impassable as most motorists struggled to wade through the flooded roads. Images and video shared online showed some vehicles stuck and almost submerged in flood waters.

Other than Nairobi, Ahero town in Nyando Sub County was also hit by devastating floods after River Nyando burst its banks early Friday morning November 29, 2024.

The flooding displaced hundreds of families in the area, forcing residents to flee their homes following the overflow.

Nyando Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Elijah Maranga reported that an estimated 350 households have been affected so far with the number expected to increase.

“The road is currently passable, but we fear that with continued rains, there will be an overflow on the Ahero bridge affecting transport. We urge residents to remain vigilant and relocate to higher grounds to avoid loss of lives and property destruction,” Maranga stated.

The Interior Ministry has since issued an advisory to residents affected by the floods.