{"id":134791,"date":"2026-03-19T13:03:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T13:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/sakaja-orders-demolition-of-illegal-riverbank-structures-as-flood-mitigation-works-begin\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T13:03:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T13:03:05","slug":"sakaja-orders-demolition-of-illegal-riverbank-structures-as-flood-mitigation-works-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/sakaja-orders-demolition-of-illegal-riverbank-structures-as-flood-mitigation-works-begin\/","title":{"rendered":"Sakaja orders demolition of illegal riverbank structures as flood mitigation works begin"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya March 19 \u2013 Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has ordered the immediate demolition of illegal structures built along riverbanks and the relocation of people occupying riparian land as part of a broader flood mitigation plan.<\/p>\n

Speaking in Westlands during an inspection and demolition exercise near the Westgate area, Sakaja, who chairs the Implementation Committee on the Cooperation Agreement, said the operation had commenced following the submission of a 48-hour action report by the Infrastructure Subcommittee.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe directive was clear \u2014 within 48 hours, we needed a concrete action plan to address flooding. I have received that report, and implementation is now underway,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The exercise includes the removal of structures that have narrowed waterways and interfered with the natural flow of rivers, worsening flooding in parts of the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere at Westgate, an entire river had been confined into a small culvert. We are reopening it to restore proper water flow,\u201d Sakaja said.<\/p>\n

Heavy machinery has already been deployed in key sections to clear debris, dredge waterways and remove illegal developments blocking drainage channels.<\/p>\n

The Governor warned that all structures erected on waterways would be removed without exception and urged affected residents and developers to vacate voluntarily before enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a one-off exercise. It is a sustained effort to reclaim our rivers and prevent further loss of life and property,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Areas earmarked for enforcement include Kirichwa in Kilimani, parts of Westlands, sections of the central business district and downstream areas along the Nairobi River.<\/p>\n

At the same time, multi-agency teams are clearing blocked drainage systems and carrying out urgent road repairs in areas affected by flooding, with weekly progress reports expected.<\/p>\n

Sakaja also called for greater public accountability, blaming illegal dumping and non-compliance with approved building plans for worsening the flooding crisis.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cApprovals are granted in line with the law, but some developers deviate from approved plans. This is a shared responsibility that must be addressed,\u201d he said, while urging agencies such as the National Construction Authority to tighten enforcement.<\/p>\n

Nairobi Rivers Commission Commissioner Mumo Musuva said joint operations were ongoing along major river corridors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are working from Kabete Dam through City Park to Mathare, clearing riparian zones and reclaiming encroached areas,\u201d Musuva said.<\/p>\n

He added that sections in Westlands, Kirichwa and the upper Nairobi River had already been marked out for restoration.<\/p>\n

Authorities have warned that continued heavy rains could worsen flooding if the measures are not sustained, and have pledged continued enforcement to protect lives and property.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya March 19 \u2013 Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has ordered the immediate demolition of illegal structures built along riverbanks and the relocation of people occupying riparian land as part of a broader flood mitigation plan. Speaking in Westlands during an inspection and demolition exercise near the Westgate area, Sakaja, who chairs the Implementation Committee […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134791\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}