Embakasi East MP Babu Owino Proposes Strategic Deepening and Expansion of Nairobi Rivers to Combat Persistent City Flooding

MP Babu Owino proposes a major plan to deepen and widen Nairobi's rivers to stop recurring floods. He also calls for using city dams as storm storage.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 11, 2026, 5:09 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from TUKO.co.ke

A Call for Fundamental Hydrological Reform

Following a weekend of catastrophic rainfall that paralyzed the capital, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has challenged the city's current flood management strategy. Speaking to constituents and via social media, the legislator emphasized that the recurring nature of Nairobi’s floods is a failure of planning rather than an unavoidable natural disaster. Owino’s primary recommendation involves a major engineering overhaul of the Nairobi, Ngong, and Mathare rivers. He argues that the natural channels are currently too shallow and narrow to accommodate the surge of stormwater generated by the city’s concrete-heavy urban landscape, leading to predictable overflows into nearby estates and informal settlements.

Infrastructure Solutions Beyond Traditional Drainage

The MP’s proposal extends beyond the riverbanks, calling for the strategic repurposing of existing water infrastructure. Owino suggested that city dams should be integrated into a "marshal plan" for flood control, serving as temporary holding basins during peak downpours. By regulating the discharge of water from these dams, the city could theoretically lower the volume of flash runoff that currently overwhelms street-level drains. Additionally, he noted that many existing drainage channels are functionally obsolete, advocating for a deepening project that would significantly increase their cubic capacity to handle intense, short-duration storm events that have become more frequent in recent years.

The Economic and Human Toll of Planning Failures

The urgency of Owino's proposals is underscored by the recent humanitarian crisis in the city, where at least 27 people, including children, lost their lives to floodwaters. Residents in neighborhoods such as Mukuru, Kibra, and Pipeline have faced repeated displacements, losing property and livelihoods to waterlogged streets. Owino criticized the current administration’s reliance on reactive measures, such as post-flood evacuations, and instead pushed for a proactive investment in the city's "blue-green" infrastructure. He argued that the cost of engineering the rivers to be deeper and wider is far lower than the recurring economic damage caused by business disruptions and infrastructure repairs following every heavy rainy season.