Kenya: ‘This flood has caused massive change’ – Surviving in Kenya’s slums

Washington Mboya, an environmentalist from Nairobi, describes the effects and response to devastating floods in the city’s poorest areas.

At last count, devastating torrential rains, floods and landslides in Kenya have killed at least 228 people since March and displaced nearly 200,000. The government, which has been accused of acting slowly, has ordered the evacuation of people living near 178 dams and reservoirs as heavy rains are expected to continue and possibly worsen until May.

1.2 Diaries’ Jennifer Kwao spoke to Washington Mboya, a Nairobi-based environmentalist, to get a closer look at how vulnerable communities have been affected.

Could you explain to me your experience with the floods and what is happening now?

At around 4:35 am on Wednesday, April 24, I received a call to come and witness what was happening in the areas around the Nairobi River. I thought it was just raining lightly, not flooding, as has been happening since early April. But when I went down to the Mathare River, I was really shocked. I had never seen anything like this before. The river had crossed its bank and was moving very quickly. The waterfall was flowing so fast and with such force that some people were trapped in the current. It was impossible to see where or what it landed on. Not even the vehicles were saved.

Many people have lost everything. Those who farmed and raised pigs along the river have lost everything. People couldn’t sleep because they were losing all their belongings. Some were missing relatives.

As soon as the water started to go down, I saw people returning to their homes, cleaning up and trying to rescue their belongings, since they had nowhere else to go. I have always been critical of settlements in riverine areas and helped educate people about the dangers of residing there. But I also know that many of these families did not have the option to live on high ground and many of them never thought they would experience such a disaster. I see shock and trauma everywhere.

The flooding is worse in downstream areas, especially in the Lucky Summer area, where the Mathare, Nairobi and Ruaraka rivers meet. We have heard that the devastation there is serious. In Ruaraka and Mathare there have been more than 10 dead and countless missing. We are still trying to find out the exact number of victims in these areas. It is really painful to witness all this.

It has been almost two weeks since the heavy rains and flooding began. The most intense occurred on Wednesday, April 24 and last weekend. There are reports that recent violent rains caused rivers to overflow. In addition to this, there are rumors that a couple of dams upstream were forcibly opened, causing a strong flow downstream.

Is there a warning system to warn people about flood risks?

I would say there were early warning systems, but this was an extraordinary situation. Even the Kenya Red Cross is struggling to cope with this situation.

In 2023, I participated in a campaign to raise awareness among communities living along the Nairobi River about flood risks. At that time, heavy rainfall was already forecast for 2024. This is a form of early warning system that we have.

Overall, I feel that communities ignore warnings issued by the government because they are not offered alternatives in terms of accommodation. Where are the shelters? Where should they go? On top of that, there is very little trust in the government. But I feel that this flood has caused a huge change; People now know how the river works and that they should not interfere with it, and that the riverside areas should not be used as settlements. It is a very hard lesson. We just need a strict ban on settlements in the riverine areas.

How has the government responded so far?

That first Wednesday I didn’t see any government representatives…surprisingly. Community members were the main people who helped. They are the first to perform rescues even without basic tools. There are many risks and that is why I applaud the commitment of the people to find a solution and rescue the victims.

On the other hand, I have seen the Kenya Red Cross try to provide shelter, medical supplies and food. I feel that the local authorities are ashamed to turn a blind eye to settlements in the riverine areas. They might also fear community outrage. I suspect they are in their offices now trying to create a working group. However, they must involve community members in such plans since we are the ones leading the response and rescues.

Other parts of the country have also been affected by flooding, so government resources are likely stretched and overwhelmed. They ran through other areas but avoided the slums. I don’t think they understand how big a catastrophe this is here. Those of us who have been in the slums know the pain. Even when the water is receding, some houses remain in the middle of the river with families trapped on their roofs with no way out.

What do you think should be done to avoid this in the future?

The government needs to invest in the community because, as victims, we have community-oriented solutions. Even if early warning systems are provided, community groups are the ones who will do all the real work, just as we see them doing now as first responders. People on the ground are willing to work, but they need support.

I am currently part of a group of environmentalists called the Blue Angels. With Monday.com we try to record the number of victims and the affected areas in the slums. We are collecting this data to share with the government and other relevant stakeholders so that when they start work, they know the risk areas and the extent of devastation in those places. There should be cooperation between communities and the government to reach marginalized areas such as slums. Community groups know their situation best.

There should soon be an urgent response from the government to resettle communities living on riverine lands, especially as these communities have realized the cost of living there. They can now be persuaded to leave their risky homes if they are offered better space and money to rebuild. I know several families who want or are already planning to evacuate that area but still don’t know where to go.

Are resettlement initiatives underway now?

It is mainly done by humanitarian organizations. The government has initiated demolitions, but resettlement of people has been rare. Currently, humanitarian organizations mainly use public schools for temporary resettlement. Churches are also being used. Organizations that have space in their area have turned them into shelters. For example, we are using my organization’s resource center to store some of the victims’ belongings. So we’re really doing our part. We can’t wait for the government to arrive. We have had to solve our problems with our community-led solutions.

We now ask the government to create a good environment for us to operate. We hope to have a good relationship with them so that we can actively prepare for future disasters.

In your awareness campaigns, how do you connect Kenya’s experiences with climate change? And how do communities react?

What is happening is definitely related to climate change because Kenya has never seen anything on this scale; At least I haven’t seen it grow here. But things are changing rapidly.

Last year we experienced high temperatures and now we are seeing another extreme in terms of heavy rain. That’s why we make these connections in our community outreach, but in a language they can understand. It is important to use the right language so that people understand the impact of climate change on their lives.

I know that shelters provide mental health services to help people cope with this traumatic experience. Interestingly, those spaces are also being used to educate people about climate change, why it is happening and also how they can view early warnings as an opportunity to prepare for what is to come.

This is an edited transcript of an interview conducted after the first wave of floods in Kenya and updated on May 6. Edited by Jennifer Kwao and Tracy Amofa and co-published with 1.2 Diaries.

Washington and a group of volunteers from his neighborhood are currently raising funds for their ongoing relief efforts. You can support them by donating any amount through World Remit or other transfer services to: Paybill: 522522; Account number: 1296679713; KCB Bank.