Former KTN Presenter Jamal Gaddafi Cheats Death as Car Swept Away in Westlands Deluge

Former KTN presenter Jamal Gaddafi narrowly escaped death on Sunday when his car was swept away by floodwaters on First Parklands Road.

Thankfully, quick-thinking bystanders sprang into action and rescued him. This harrowing experience prompted Gaddafi to urge Governor Johnson Sakaja to address the city's deteriorating drainage systems. Gaddafi has emphasised the urgency of tackling this issue and highlighted the dangers posed by clogged drains, particularly along Ojijo Road and other flood-prone areas. The recent downpours have caused significant traffic congestion with stranded vehicles reported on major highways including Namanga Road in Kitengela.

The flooding has also exacerbated concerns about the city's infrastructure. Politician Alinur Mohammed echoes Gaddafi's sentiments in highlighting the urgent need for immediate intervention to improve drainage systems. Nairobi's inadequate drainage system has become an annual source of frustration for residents during the rainy season. Despite their eagerness for an improved infrastructure that can effectively handle the torrential downpours, they find themselves consistently let down.

The city's streets transform into a daunting obstacle course, forcing residents to navigate through flooded roads by wading, jumping, and even relying on makeshift trolley pullers to traverse the flooded areas. In January, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja shed light on the uphill battle of addressing this perennial flooding issue in the city. In an interview with the Star, Sakaja elucidated that the city's drainage system has a fixed capacity, which, despite the efforts of the Green Army to clear most of the blocked drains throughout Nairobi, remains insufficient to cope with the volume of water during heavy downpours.