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Nairobi Floods: Sakaja Calls Disaster National Crisis, Warns Against Blame Game

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Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja has urged the national government to treat ongoing floods in the country as a national disaster

The governor warned leaders against turning the tragedy into political theatre, urging a united response to support victims

Sakaja also defended controversial relocations along the Nairobi River, saying the move helped avert a far worse humanitarian crisis during the heavy rains.

Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja has called for the deadly floods currently hitting parts of the country to be declared a national disaster.

Johnson Sakaja speaks on Nairobi floods Nairobi county boss Johnson Sakaja urged President William Ruto’s government to declare ongoing floods a national disaster.

Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Sunday night, March 8, the governor said the scale of destruction and rising death toll across several regions shows the crisis goes beyond Nairobi and requires a coordinated national response. “This is a national disaster. Nearly half of the deaths have occurred in other parts of the country as well, and those lives matter too,” Sakaja said during the interview.

The governor lamented that instead of focusing on solutions, some leaders had turned the floods into a political contest, accusing each other while residents grapple with displacement, destroyed homes and stalled transport. “It is a shame that some leaders in this city are finger-pointing and leveraging this tragedy for political gain. We should stop politicising natural calamities and instead focus on a collective response to support those affected in Nairobi and across the country,” he said.

Did Sakaja defend Nairobi River evictions?

Sakaja also defended the county government’s decision to remove residents living along the Nairobi River, arguing the move prevented a larger catastrophe as the river burst its banks during the heavy rains.

The relocations sparked criticism from some political leaders and activists at the time, though the governor maintained that the action was necessary to protect lives in areas considered highly vulnerable to flooding. “Leadership is about providing solutions, not playing politics. Sometimes those solutions require painful decisions to save lives. If we had not relocated people from the Nairobi River, the number of lives lost during the floods would have been much higher,” he said.

According to Sakaja, long-term solutions require addressing decades of poor planning and aging infrastructure that have left the city struggling whenever intense rainfall occurs.

Why does Nairobi flood easily?

During the interview, the governor explained that Nairobi’s drainage system was designed many years ago for a far smaller city and cannot cope with the volume of rain currently being experienced. He noted that rapid population growth and urban expansion have placed enormous pressure on infrastructure originally built when Nairobi had a fraction of its present population. “There is no quick fix for this city; we are dealing with a generational infrastructure deficit. Much of the drainage and planning systems were designed for a city of about 500,000 people, yet today we are dealing with a far larger population,” Sakaja said.

He revealed that fully modernising the capital’s drainage system could cost about KSh 25 billion, while running the city effectively would require far more funding than the county currently receives. The governor argued that Nairobi needs a special financing framework because of the unique demands placed on the capital.

He added that existing laws already provide a mechanism for the city to access additional resources. Sakaja further said that the capital city was built on a swamp, recalling getting stranded during El Nino rains in 1997.

How is Nairobi cooperation with national government?

Sakaja said the county government has been working with the national government to address major roads, waterways and other critical infrastructure that fall outside county jurisdiction.

He explained that solving Nairobi’s flooding crisis will require sustained investment and cooperation between different levels of government.

At the same time, Sakaja urged residents to play their part by avoiding littering and illegal dumping, which often block drainage channels and worsen flooding during heavy rains.

He said the county has deployed thousands of workers under the Green Army initiative to clear drains daily, though poor waste disposal continues to undermine those efforts.

The governor also warned politicians against encouraging residents to resist evacuation orders in flood-prone areas, saying such actions put lives at risk.

As of Sunday, the death toll from the floods that struck on Friday evening had risen to 43 across 16 counties-TUKO.

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National Assembly dismisses claims Sacco Bill is being rushed through Parliament

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The National Assembly has dismissed reports that the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is being rushed through Parliament, saying the proposed law is still undergoing public participation.

Through infographics shared on Facebook on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Parliament said misleading information had been circulating online about the Bill, formally known as the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, National Assembly Bill No. 32 of 2025.

Bill was published in June 2025

The National Assembly said the Bill was published on June 30, 2025, and had remained under consideration for more than 12 months.

It rejected suggestions that lawmakers were fast-tracking the proposed amendments without allowing enough time for scrutiny.

According to Parliament, the lengthy period between the publication of the Bill and its current consideration shows that it is not being rushed.

Bill currently before the National Assembly committee

The Sacco Societies Amendment Bill is currently before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

The committee is conducting public participation and receiving views from members of the public and other stakeholders.

The submissions are expected to help the committee assess the proposed amendments before presenting its recommendations to the National Assembly.

What happens after public participation?

After the public participation process is concluded, the committee will prepare a report containing its findings and recommendations.

Parliament said the views submitted by members of the public and stakeholders could inform further amendments to the Bill.

The proposed legislation will then proceed to the National Assembly for consideration by MPs.

This means the Bill has not yet completed the legislative process and could still be amended based on the submissions received during public participation.

Bill will be forwarded to Senate

The National Assembly also clarified that the Bill will not proceed directly for presidential assent after being passed by MPs.

Because the proposed legislation concerns county governments, it will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration in accordance with the Constitution.

The Senate will be required to consider the Bill before it can complete the parliamentary process and be presented for presidential assent.

Parliament urged members of the public to rely on verified information about the Sacco Societies Amendment Bill instead of unconfirmed reports circulating online-PeopleDaily.Digital.

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Digital house-hunting platform bets on technology to reshape Nairobi’s rental market

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NAIROBI, Kenya, July 14 – A growing shift towards digital property searches is changing how Kenyans find rental homes, with real estate technology platform Reemio positioning itself as a solution to longstanding challenges.

This included fraudulent listings, costly house searches and limited market transparency.

As younger, tech-savvy consumers turn to online platforms to make purchasing decisions, the company says digitizing the rental process could improve efficiency for both tenants and landlords while lowering transaction costs.

“Our niche is to solve the problem of house hunting and also bring trust into that process. We use technology to connect renters and landlords,” said Kimani.

Kimani said the platform seeks to address inefficiencies that have traditionally made house hunting expensive and time-consuming.

Instead of physically visiting multiple properties, users can browse verified listings, take virtual tours, compare amenities and access information on additional costs such as water charges, electricity bills and service fees before scheduling physical viewings.

Beyond improving convenience for tenants, Reemio argues that technology can help landlords reduce marketing costs, shorten vacancy periods and reach a wider pool of prospective tenants, including Kenyans living abroad.

The company says its platform also generates market data that can help property owners and developers better understand evolving consumer preferences, although its long-term impact will depend on wider adoption of digital property platforms and continued investment in trustworthy online real estate marketplaces-Capitalfm.co.ke.

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ORPP edges two parties closer to joining Kenya’s political arena

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The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has issued a notice for the provisional registration of two proposed political parties, opening a seven-day window for members of the public to lodge objections.

In a notice published by the Registrar of Political Parties and Chief Executive Officer J.C. Lorionokou, the ORPP announced that the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) and the People’s Alternative Voice (PAV) are in the process of being provisionally registered under Section 5(2)(a) of the Political Parties Act.

The ORPP, a State office established under Section 33 of the Political Parties Act and Article 260 of the Constitution, said its mandate includes registering and regulating political parties as well as administering the Political Parties Fund.

According to the notice, the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) has adopted pink, white and sky blue as its official party colours, with the slogan “Change – Mageuzi.” The party’s symbol is the acronym SDP enclosed inside a circle.

The party’s listed founder members are Nyangong’ Duncan Nyumbah, Omwandasi Jared Dishon and Kinyua Mary Wacuka.

The founders of PAV are listed as Odenyo John Fitzgerald Elly, Nyando Rachel Mmboga and Ali Hussein Kiplangat.

The Registrar said particulars of the two proposed political parties have been published on the ORPP website to facilitate public scrutiny as required by law.

Any person wishing to oppose the provisional registration of either party has seven days from the date of publication of the notice to submit objections either in writing or in person to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties at Lion Place, Fourth Floor, Waiyaki Way at Karuna Close, Nairobi.

The provisional registration marks the first step in the legal process of establishing a political party in Kenya.

Kenya has 91 fully registered political parties. The ORPP’s updated register indicates that, as of January 2026, there were 91 parties that had met the legal requirements for full registration under the Political Parties Act-STAR.

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