SINKapore: Sakaja under fire as Nairobi goes underwater

As it all unfolds, Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja has remained mum, as his people drown in brutal rainstorms, with water flooding the streets and pouring into homes, leaving key infrastructure destroyed and residential estates submerged. 

Already, at least 23 people, according to the National Police Service (NPS) have been confirmed dead in Nairobi following the devastating floods that struck the city on Friday.

According to the county police boss, at least 71 vehicles were trapped or stranded across the city after major roads became impassable due to the heavy flooding.

On Saturday, residents across Nairobi woke up to flooded neighbourhoods, stranded motorists and widespread disruption after the heavy downpour left several parts of the city submerged and major roads impassable.

Governor Sakaja has remained largely absent as the city chokes in floods, with Nairobians left to their own devices, some dying, some getting swept away and many floating their way down the streets.

He hasn't addressed the city dwellers, doesn't appear to have a rescue plan, is presiding over a drowning city and appears to be lost in his own fantasy world as Nairobians brave downpours and violent waters.

Viral videos doing rounds online show Nairobians alighting from a bus and onto a flooded road, as they hold on to each other, forming a human chain, carefully trudging their way through the stormy floods, as darkness looms and fear abounds.

Kenyans are not blaming him for the rains, that’s an act of God and there is nothing he could do, they are blaming him for overseeing a Capital that is dirty, insecure, unplanned and one that that is not fit for human existence.

The rains were expected weeks ago, but nothing happened to the disaster preparedness, the unclogging of drains, or building on riparian areas. When the heavens opened, there was no one to help save Nairobians.

Many are now blaming the governor for the messy aftermath, accusing him of negligence, poor planning, weak leadership and institutional failure, with others calling upon him to provide solutions amid the turbulent weather.

In New York City, Mayor Zhoran Mamdani was widely praised for how he managed New York's historic winter. Amid a tempestuous February 2026 blizzard, which brought 19–21+ inches of snow, the city's largest snowfall since 2016, Mamdani took a hands-on approach by shovelling, coordinating with DSNY, and using "code blue" protocols to protect vulnerable residents.

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) completed a first plough of 99.3% of city roads, with the mayor actively monitoring progress. He also personally assisted with snow removal for residents, earning both praise and media attention.

His administration also activated "code blue" to support the homeless and utilised emergency, paid, and volunteer shovelling programs.

Mamdani also declared a state of emergency, ordering the shutdown of the city’s entire traffic network for all but emergency travel as a severe snowstorm hit his town.

“NYC, we’ve declared a local state of emergency ahead of this blizzard. Stay safe, New York,” he posted on X, providing both confidence and leadership as New Yorkers battled through the blizzards.

In Nairobi, Governor Sakaja has not only not mentioned the floods once, he has also disappeared from sight, leaving his people frantically swimming their way out of the frenzied deluge. 

Sharing photos of submerged cars, activist Nelson Amenya wrote: "Sakaja should be in jail not in office, 1) there’s no storm water drainage system (not even a roadmap has been developed), 2) I haven’t seen any active flood management or even preparation for it by the county of Nairobi. A working system would have already mapped out flood prone sections and closed them off."

Someone else wrote, "Yes, it is possible for a country to declare a state of emergency in case of severe flooding causing destruction to property and life. Look at what is happening in Nairobi, South C, Jogoo Road. How Nairobians trusted Sakaja a Tims graduate still amazes me. If he can't manage Nairobi, President Ruto should deploy military."

On her part, Regina Gathoni wrote: "I can't believe in the Central Business District people are forming a human chain to cross a flooded road in the rain so they don't drown, and we claim to have a Governor! In any civilised country, the governor would resign before the break of dawn! A city the size of Nairobi should already have mapped flood zones and a clear mitigation strategy!"

Sakaja and his team need a shatterproof flood disaster management that involves a comprehensive approach covering mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery to reduce risks and impact.

As governor, he also needs to have structured a clear response that includes activating emergency operations, conducting search and rescue, activating evacuation plans to higher ground, and shutting down utilities.

But unfortunately, the man who loves pandering the slogan 'Lazima iWork' doesn't seem too keen to have anything working. In a city as big as Nairobi, and a county that just recently received Ksh. 80 billion to boost its functions, people shouldn't watch themselves drown down the streets, as the man in charge casually looks away, too engrossed in non-serious things to stand up and save his sinking people.

Even as President William Ruto keeps touting the Singapore dream, Nairobians have a clever spin to the fantasy: 'SINKapore'.