Sakaja promises to rebuild all infrastructure destroyed by floods
By Mabonga Makhanu, March 16, 2026Johnson Sakaja has announced that there will be immediate restoration of infrastructure that was destroyed by floods experienced in the recent past, which wreaked havoc across the country, with Nairobi being the most affected.
This declaration came after a joint sitting under the recently formed cooperation deal between the national government and the Nairobi County government, which was held on Monday, March 16, 2026, to provide solutions to the devastating effects left by the floods in major parts of Nairobi City.
“The committee met urgently to address the impact of the ongoing heavy rains and floods on Nairobi’s infrastructure and the livelihoods of Nairobi residents,” Sakaja said.
The governor, who chaired the urgent meeting where key stakeholders of the joint cooperation were present, including principal secretaries and cabinet secretaries, tasked the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to immediately begin restoring infrastructure that was destroyed along the motorway, Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway and other roads that fall within its jurisdiction.
The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), which has most of its roads under its jurisdiction damaged by the floods, was also tasked with doing the same.
“Immediate infrastructure restoration: the committee noted the significant damage caused by the heavy rains to drainage systems and roads across the city. To address this, KURA, where most of the roads fall, and KeNHA, for Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway and other related infrastructure, have been directed to act immediately.”
Further directions
The Nairobi Rivers Commission, Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company and the county government mobility sector have been directed to submit a comprehensive joint assessment and costed plan within 48 hours focusing on road corridors and infrastructure most affected by floods.
He added that all the above agencies are currently holding a joint meeting, and engineers at the sub-county level are conducting the delegated assessments and will report back to the Musalia Mudavadi-led Nairobi County National Government Implementation Committee.
report by the tasked agencies, according to Sakaja, is supposed to map out all flood-prone areas in the 17 sub-counties of Nairobi and provide for immediate desilting of Nairobi rivers and repair of all roads that were damaged by the floods.
This comes at a time when 33 deaths have been confirmed in Nairobi County as a result of the floods alone, with the total tally now standing at 69.
The flooding effect
The Kenya Red Cross has a warning that more deaths might be recorded as search and rescue operations continue. According to Sakaja, 2,000 Nairobi residents have also been displaced by the floods and are now relying on humanitarian assistance.
Sakaja also used the opportunity to send his heartfelt condolences to families who have lost their loved ones.
This also comes a day after President William Ruto assured the country that the government will continue providing support to flood victims and come up with measures to prevent further destruction across the country.