Sakaja Orders Crackdown On Riverbank Encroachment Amid Flood Crisis
News Updated: 19 March 2026 20:20 EAT
Nairobi Governor Johnson Arthur Sakaja
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has ordered the immediate demolition of illegal structures built along riverbanks, escalating emergency measures to contain flooding triggered by sustained heavy rains across the city.
The directive targets widespread encroachment on riparian land, which county officials say has narrowed waterways, blocked drainage channels and sharply reduced the capacity of rivers to handle stormwater, leaving several estates vulnerable to flash floods.
County enforcement teams, working alongside engineers and disaster response units, have been deployed to identified hotspots to begin demolitions, remove debris and reopen clogged river channels in an operation officials describe as urgent and ongoing.
The Nairobi Rivers Commission has been directed to take control of cleared sites, immediately cordoning off reclaimed riparian corridors to prevent fresh encroachment and safeguard ongoing restoration works.
Authorities say sections of the Nairobi River system had been reduced to narrow passages due to illegal construction, significantly increasing the risk of overflow during peak rainfall and worsening flood impacts in densely populated areas.
Sakaja warned that occupants of illegal structures must vacate voluntarily or face forceful eviction, stressing that enforcement will be strict and continuous, with no exemptions granted in the crackdown.
The county government has also intensified parallel interventions, including dredging rivers, unclogging drainage systems and clearing solid waste, which officials blame for compounding the flooding crisis during the current rainy season.
Multi-agency teams have mapped critical stretches from upstream zones such as Kabete through City Park to downstream settlements, where restoration of natural river flow is expected to ease pressure on the city’s overstretched drainage infrastructure.
The demolition drive forms part of a broader flood mitigation strategy, with the county warning that continued heavy rains could worsen the situation if illegal developments are not removed and riparian reserves fully protected.
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FELIX MAKONA
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