By KPC Reporter
Anger and frustration swept through parts of Nairobi on Friday night after heavy rains triggered flooding that knocked out electricity in several neighborhoods, leaving homes, businesses, and institutions in darkness.
This is even as aid workers ‌pulled bodies from floodwaters across Nairobi on Saturday after overnight flash floods killed at least 10 people, swept away dozens of cars and ​disrupted flights at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), as reported by Reuters.
According to Kenya Power, the outage occurred after flooding at the South C Substation caused part of the facility’s boundary wall to collapse.
The incident disrupted electricity supply to South B, South C, Nairobi West, Madaraka, Lang’ata, Industrial Area and Uhuru Gardens.
Also affected were areas around Wilson Airport and the popular Carnivore area. Institutions including Strathmore University were also affected.
Kenya Power said engineers were dispatched immediately to the site to restore supply and reroute electricity where possible.
But as repair teams worked through the night, political leaders and residents pointed to a deeper problem: Nairobi’s chronic flooding and fragile infrastructure.
Green Congress Party leader Hillary Alila said the blackout highlighted long-standing failures in urban planning and drainage management in the capital.
“Another rain, another blackout in Nairobi. When will we learn?” Alila said in a statement.
“This isn’t just heavy rain. This is what happens when decades of poor urban planning, inadequate drainage systems and uncontrolled development collide with predictable seasonal floods.”
Alila noted that areas such as South C have for years been known flood-prone zones, yet key mitigation measures have not been implemented.
He cited blocked or undersized stormwater drains, continued encroachment on riparian land and wetlands, and infrastructure that is not designed to withstand increasingly intense rainfall linked to climate change.
“Critical infrastructure like substations and boundary walls are not elevated or reinforced with worsening climate patterns in mind,” he said.
Residents affected by the blackout said the disruption once again exposed how vulnerable Nairobi’s infrastructure remains during the rainy season.
Businesses in the Industrial Area reported halted operations, while families complained of spending the night without electricity.
Alila said the recurring outages show that flooding in the capital can no longer be dismissed as an unavoidable natural event.
“This is no longer a natural disaster. It is a planning disaster,” he said.
He nonetheless praised Kenya Power engineers for responding quickly under difficult conditions, while urging both county and national governments to prioritize resilient infrastructure.
“The real solution lies upstream,” Alila said.
“We need serious investment in drainage upgrades, enforcement of land-use regulations, and infrastructure designed for the climate realities we now face.”
The Green Congress leader added that the party would push for improved infrastructure through its representatives in county assemblies and the National Assembly, arguing that Nairobi cannot afford to repeat the same crisis every rainy season.