Heavy Rains Submerge Nairobi CBD as Sakaja and Babu Owino Clash Over Sh1B Funds
Nairobi’s “Green City in the Sun” was briefly rebranded as a “City of Shallow Rivers” on Thursday evening, March 5, 2026, after a sudden but intense downpour paralyzed the Central Business District (CBD) and the busy Gikomba market. The flash floods, a signature of the peaking March-May “long rains” season, saw commuters navigating stalled vehicles and murky waters that rose above the verandas of major shops along Kenyatta Avenue and Moi Avenue. In Gikomba, traders scrambled to salvage their wares as the overflow from the Nairobi River threatened to submerge the market just days after the High Court temporarily halted planned demolitions along the riparian reserve.
The Kenya Meteorological Department has issued a high-alert advisory, warning that the current rainfall—exceeding 20mm in a 24-hour period—is expected to intensify through the weekend. The forecast, valid until March 9, 2026, predicts that the peak of this weather pattern will occur between March 4 and March 7, with heavy thunderstorms likely to hit the Highlands East of the Rift Valley, including Nairobi. Authorities have warned of poor visibility on major highways and the high risk of flash floods in low-lying areas, urging residents to avoid sheltering under trees or driving through fast-moving water.
The floods have triggered a sharp political backlash, with Embakasi East MP Babu Owino taking to social media to slam Governor Johnson Sakaja for what he termed “gross negligence” and “aesthetic leadership” without substance. Owino’s critique centers on the recently announced Sh1 billion allocation from the National Government specifically dedicated to Nairobi’s drainage improvement. While President William Ruto and Governor Sakaja recently signed an Sh80 billion cooperation pact intended to modernize the city’s infrastructure, the opposition argues that the “real fixes” promised for this rainy season are nowhere to be seen, leaving the city’s tax-paying “hustlers” to wade through sewage-filled streets.
True to form, Kenyans on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok reacted to the submerged streets with a mix of vitriol and wit. Viral videos of the CBD “swimming pools” were accompanied by jokes about the new “Nairobi Marine Service,” with some users mockingly asking the County Government for the price of docking permits for their new “car-boats.” Others issued humorous warnings to “upcountry” migrants, telling them to carry swimming gear if they planned to visit the capital during the weekend. Despite the humor, the underlying sentiment remains one of deep frustration as the city’s aging drainage system fails its first major test of 2026.