Governor Under Fire as Floods Bring Eldoret City to a Standstill
Heavy rains pounded Eldoret on Wednesday evening, leaving the city submerged in floodwaters and forcing many businesses to shut their doors.
Videos and photos seen by Kenyans.co.ke showed motorists struggling to drive through streets that had turned into rivers, with raging water flowing like a spring.
The worst-hit area was Nandi Road, which was completely transformed into a waterway, disrupting traffic, businesses, and daily activities.
Even large vehicles such as lorries were not spared, as they were captured outside Naivas Supermarket at Kitmatt Centre, stuck and battling to move through the deep waters.
The situation quickly sparked anger online, with residents lashing out at county authorities for neglecting the city’s drainage system.
“All this is because of poor drainage in a city that calls itself the Royal County,” one frustrated resident complained. “The county government must wake up and fix this problem once and for all.”
Another added, “We cannot keep ignoring such a serious issue. Eldoret is now a city, and its drainage system must reflect its new status. Residents deserve better.”
Some residents even shared suggestions on how to address the mess. One bold proposal was to dig huge underground tunnels, at least 50 feet deep, that could handle heavy drainage and channel excess water directly into River Sosiani.
Experts point out that Eldoret’s current drainage system was designed decades ago, back when the town’s population was only a few thousand. Today, the city is home to more than 500,000 people and continues to grow rapidly after being elevated to city status, yet its infrastructure has not been upgraded to keep up with this growth.
Eldoret’s struggle with flooding mirrors that of Nairobi, where poor drainage has long been a nightmare.
During heavy rains, streets in the Central Business District (CBD) and even in upscale areas like Parklands often flood, bringing traffic to a halt and damaging property.
According to Nairobi’s Chief Officer for Environment, Geoffrey Mosiria, one of the biggest contributors to flooding in the capital is the reckless construction of buildings on top of rivers such as River Kibagare, which blocks natural water flow and worsens the flooding problem.
For Eldoret residents, however, the call is clear: as the city grows, authorities must urgently redesign and upgrade its drainage system, or flooding will continue to disrupt lives, cripple businesses, and tarnish the reputation of a county that prides itself on progress.
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