Nairobi — Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has defended the controversial relocation of residents living along Nairobi's riverbanks last year, saying the painful decision helped prevent greater loss of life during the recent floods in the capital.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV Kenya, Sakaja said leadership requires making difficult decisions to protect lives rather than engaging in political blame games.
The governor noted that when the county government ordered residents living along the Nairobi River to relocate, the move was heavily politicised by some leaders.
"Many people were playing politics, saying residents should not move. But if we had not made that decision, the number of people who died during the floods would have been much higher," Sakaja said.
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Sakaja said Nairobi's flooding problem cannot be solved by the county government alone, revealing that a complete overhaul of the city's drainage system would cost about Sh25 billion. He noted that this was the thinking behind the cooperation agreement with the national government, aimed at addressing major infrastructure challenges that require significant funding.
According to the governor, the partnership will also support the construction of a 54-kilometre sewer line expected to cost about Sh50 billion, a project he said could significantly improve sanitation and drainage capacity in the city for the next 50 years.
Sakaja explained that Nairobi's flood challenges are partly rooted in historical planning decisions dating back to the 1960s.
"The city was planned to serve just a few hundred thousand people, but today Nairobi has a population of over seven million. That is why tough decisions are necessary to change the story, including cooperation with the national government to inject more resources to address the city's challenges," he said.
The governor noted that the city was established around three main rivers -- the Ngong River, Mathare River and the Nairobi River -- making it highly vulnerable to flooding when waterways are encroached upon.
"As leaders, we must correct the mess created over decades," he said.
Sakaja warned that more difficult decisions may be required to protect residents and improve the city's drainage system, including demolishing structures built along waterways.
"These are not decisions that can be made overnight," he said. "But if bringing down houses built on waterways is what it takes to protect lives and secure the Nairobi we want, then we must do it."
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He urged residents to support the county's efforts, saying the long-term goal is to build a safer and better-planned city for future generations.
