After floods, accountability must follow

I was awake last night when the rains started. Like many Nairobians, I didn’t think it was going to get that serious...until it was.

I watched videos of people stuck in traffic jams around Langata Road, Mbagathi Way, Madaraka and Nairobi West. Then, while looking for someone, I went out to see for myself.

These roads were basically impassable. Kenyans sat, cold and wet, in traffic, unable to move, get home or get help. One conductor who passed me was apparently just released at midnight from the cells, and had to find his way home to Kiambu – meanwhile, there was no way for him to actually get past the Langata Road roundabout, to do so.

The South C route through the Water and Sewerage Company (ironic) was completely flooded. Multiple cars were floating all the way down to Madaraka. Mbagathi Road was impossible. Langata residents pretty much sat in jam until about 1 or 2 am. 

I saw revellers from Eid who were revelling no more; they just stood, stunned, waiting for the rain to stop. 

I’m sure some idiot will ask why people were out past curfew. The floods, for your information, started way before curfew hours.

Many almost died; a lady on Twitter, now suffering from hypothermia, was fighting off thieves in the middle of this already hectic ordeal.

Is it strange that in 2021 I’m still shocked that this happens? That our drainage systems are so bad, that houses can literally flood and those inside them have no escape? It boggles my mind. 

I was taking videos in disbelief – because literally nothing could be done to help floating cars, even if we wanted to help. There was no choice but to wait for the water to go down.

I remember an incident like this a couple of years ago, about 2015. In the same way, and on the same roads, cars were stuck and had to wait hours on end for the downpour to subside. I was caught in that downpour, and turned around before the damage done to myself and those I was with was too much. 

This happened six years ago, and nothing has changed. How come? Are we so busy pushing the fallen BBI that we can’t do or think of anything outside that? Are these not our homes? Is this not our country?

The floods last night were, for me, yet another symptom of a tragically failing state. It is not the responsibility of citizens to maintain roads and ensure that neighbourhoods are livable – and this goes for all areas, not just those prone to floods. 

We hand that responsibility over to the State by agreeing to have a democratic government. Whoever you voted for doesn’t matter at this level – whoever is in that position as of now is supposed to take care of all constituents in their jurisdiction. So where are those guys, the ones in charge? And what's up with Nairobi's drainage? Why are the standards so low? So low that they’re in, well, hell?

Hope

I’m watching the aftermath of last night’s flooding as I type this, and it is imprinted in my mind the same way the High Court’s judgement to declare BBI unconstitutional is. 

I have a little hope – though many things have been declared unconstitutional in this country before, and still fly, like our current parliament, and the post of Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS). 

What I am concluding is somewhat obvious at this point: the changes needed in Kenya require a complete overhaul of the system – a flood, if you will – for anything to move in a positive direction, against the current of corruption and coercion we’re concurrently drowning in. 

The individuals and institutions in charge of drainage – in Nairobi and across the country – must be held accountable. Institutions in charge of these towns, cities and villages providing these services, ensuring that the people of Kenya have access, checking the quality of our roads – should be sued by the people who lost so much last night, for breach of contract that they had with the people of Kenya. There has to be, there must be, some recourse.

As I write this, there is no electricity.