Sakaja orders 48-hour flood response plan

The meeting, attended by several Principal Secretaries and representatives from key national agencies, focused on the worsening flooding situation caused by ongoing heavy rains, which started on March 6. 

Sakaja has directed officials to prepare a report mapping drainage hotspots, identifying damaged roads and infrastructure, outlining the work required, the responsible agencies, and the cost so that repairs can begin immediately.

He recommended that the task should be done with help from the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA).

"Look at the assessment already done by the County engineers. Get that validated by KURA, incorporate KeNHA and KeRRA to do some roads in the city. Let us look at what Google and ESRI can assist with," he said.

The committee also agreed to prioritize the repair and recarpeting of roads damaged by floods and discussed the installation of new street lighting across informal settlements, highways, and residential estates. 

The implementation committee is expected to reconvene on Thursday to review the report and approve immediate interventions.

This comes after the Ministry of Interior flagged 37 neighbourhoods in the city as flood-prone areas, noting that a mapping exercise conducted under the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Programme established that the areas are along major river corridors and locations vulnerable to flooding. 

This includes areas that lie downstream along sections of the Nairobi River and its tributaries, those situated upstream and midstream sections of the river network and those along where the river passes. 

President William Ruto has also assured Kenyans of a swift government response to emergencies after the heavy downpour left Nairobi City flooded.

In a statement on Sunday, the President said a multi-agency response team consisting of emergency services, security agencies, humanitarian teams and technical departments is coordinating efforts and managing the situation effectively in Nairobi and across the country. 

So far, the national death toll was reported to have risen to 66 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, researchers at Google have developed a flash flood forecast tool which would help in predicting the risk of flash floods in urban areas up to 24 hours in advance.

According to the technology company, the tool available on Flood Hub uses satellite data to produce Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images that its algorithms use to calculate the flooded area.

Google adopted an AI-driven approach, combining Google Maps and Gemini capabilities to estimate the affected areas where flooding occurs and provide rapid flood maps. 

However, Google cautions that the accuracy of the Flood Hub is prone to error due to the lack of clarity from the satellite imagery relied upon, adding that necessary updates are being made.