Nairobi streets turn deadly rivers: Motorists demand justice as floods destroy vehicles and lives
- Created by AVDelta News Reporter
- Roundup
Heavy rains turn roads into rushing rivers, leaving motorists stranded and cars destroyed.
Friday’s heavy rainfall turned major streets in Nairobi into dangerous rivers, sweeping away cars and leaving motorists stranded.
Engines were ruined, interiors flooded, and some roads completely impassable.
The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) on Sunday said the disaster was preventable. Years of poor planning and roadworks have sealed off drainage vents on streets like Tom Mboya, Moi Avenue, River Road, and Haile Selassie Avenue.
Rainwater has nowhere to flow, creating fast-moving floods that catch drivers off guard.
“The floods hit quickly. Vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of shillings were destroyed. Motorists’ lives were at risk,” MAK said.
The Nairobi Expressway worsens the problem. Its construction blocked or narrowed critical drainage channels along Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway.
Areas with functioning drains, like State House and Hurlingham, were mostly spared, showing the central city flooding was due to human error, not rain alone.
MAK called for immediate action:
- Reopen all blocked drainage systems.
- Hold engineers accountable for faulty roadworks.
- Compensate motorists for destroyed vehicles.
- Require Nairobi Expressway operators to fund drainage repairs.
“This is a preventable disaster. Nairobi risks becoming a city of concrete chaos if authorities ignore citizen safety,” MAK said.
Families are counting losses, motorists tally damages, and the city is left to question why basic infrastructure is failing its people.