Sakaja Announces Waiver on Repair Levies After Nairobi Flood Damage

The Nairobi City County Government has introduced a 30-day waiver on repair levies for residents and businesses affected by the recent flooding. 

In a notice on Wednesday, March 11, the county government explained that the temporary directive aims to speed up recovery efforts by allowing faster restoration of homes, commercial buildings, and public infrastructure that were damaged during the heavy rains.

Acting County Secretary and Head of Public Service Godfrey Akumali said the decision, issued under the authority of the governor’s office, seeks to reduce the burden faced by those affected while ensuring urgent repairs can begin immediately.

"The waiver is intended to expedite the restoration of homes, businesses and public facilities affected by flood damage, safeguard the health and safety of residents, and support community resilience during this challenging period," the notice stated.

According to the directive, fees and approvals typically required before repair or maintenance work can begin will be suspended for one month. 

This means property owners can proceed with essential structural repairs without waiting for the usual administrative processes.

The county government has encouraged residents and businesses to utilize the waiver period to repair damaged properties, noting that technical advice and oversight will still be available to make sure all restoration works comply with safety requirements.

The waiver will be valid for 30 days beginning on Wednesday, after which the standard regulatory procedures and levies will be reinstated.

This comes days after Sakaja explained why he had remained out of the public spotlight as rescue teams responded to deadly flooding in several parts of the capital. 

In an interview on Sunday, March 8, Sakaja said his focus had been on coordinating emergency response teams rather than appearing in front of cameras.

"When such a thing happens, you have to coordinate a rescue. I have been with the ministry, with my teams all over the 17 sub-counties. When I appear when there is a rescue, the focus shifts. I am not a firefighter; why would I make it more difficult for those officers who are working?" he posed.

Sakaja noted that during emergency operations, the priority should remain on saving lives and supporting affected residents rather than political visibility or public relations.

"In such a situation, you need to think about the people affected. How do you respond to them instead of looking for optics and PR? It would be very easy to wear gumboots, walk around, and look busy, yet take away focus on what needs to be done," he added.

Sakaja also addressed the structural challenges that have worsened flooding in the city, particularly the drainage infrastructure, which he said was not designed to handle the current intensity of rainfall.

"The drainage that we have is not built for this amount of rain. Devolution is not a competition; it is for us to say this is why we needed that cooperation. The capital city cannot be organized based on the share of revenue that it gets, like other counties, and that is why article 6 of the Urban Areas and Cities Act provided an opportunity for us to get additional funding, look at 80 billion to sort out a problem," he continued.

Sakaja added that the recent floods have highlighted the need for stronger collaboration between different levels of government as well as greater responsibility from residents in managing waste disposal.

"These floods over the past 72 hours have been an affirmation of what we are doing. They have affirmed why we are cooperating, they have affirmed and shown Nairobians why there is a need for us to all take responsibility, for us to look at how we dump and how we treat garbage," he further said.