Widespread devastation as El Niño unleashes floods in Kenya
Wednesday November 22 2023
Residents in Kisumu County, Kenya move to safer ground after their homes were flooded by heavy El Niño rains. PHOTO | NMG
Cyril Nangalama watches and contemplates deeply on the flood water that has become a common sight in his Ongata Rongai area in Nairobi, Kenya. This is the worst flooding he has witnessed in a long time and worries that the roads in the region will be rendered impassable if the rainfall continues.
His worst fears are materialising as drainage channels in the area clog up with trash as stormwater carries more trash and debris from different areas upstream.
“I expected the early warnings of heavy rainfall would jolt the local government to start clearing drainage infrastructure. However, rains from the past few days have dragged in plastics and other solid waste, making it impossible for the existing drainage system to work,” he lamented.
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