Nairobians wake up to flooded city roads after Friday rains

The rains, which started late Friday evening, continued into the night, causing widespread flooding in low-lying areas and major roads within the Central Business District (CBD), forcing motorists and pedestrians to wade through pools of water.

Traffic was also heavily affected on the Nairobi Expressway, where flooding disrupted the smooth flow of vehicles and caused long tailbacks that lasted for hours.

“I spent almost two hours stuck near Nyayo Stadium because the water was too deep to move,” said James Mwangi, a Nairobi-based matatu driver. “The drainage here just can’t handle the rain.”

In response, Nairobi Environment Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria urged residents to take personal responsibility by unblocking drainage in front of their homes and business premises. He emphasized that maintaining clear drainage systems is a ‘shared responsibility.’

“Mvua kidogo tu na nimeanza kupata strays from all corners. Issue ya drainage tunajaribu kila wakati kusort, but the same people responsible for the blockages wakichukuliwa hatua, wengine wenu mnateta jameni!” he lamented, as Nairobians continue to blame the county government for poor drainage systems.

This comes after the Kenya Meteorological Department issued a heavy rainfall advisory warning of intensified downpours across several parts of the country from Friday, October 3, to Sunday, October 5, 2025.

The department noted that rainfall over the Lake Victoria Basin, Rift Valley, and the Highlands west of the Rift Valley is expected to exceed 20mm within 24 hours and spread eastwards to the Highlands and Nairobi. The rains are likely to be accompanied by strong winds. 

Residents in these areas were urged to remain on high alert for potential flooding, which may occur even in areas that had not experienced heavy local rainfall due to downstream water flow.