'It can kill us': Kenyans fear impact of El Niño with floods predicted

What the report says

BBC Africa reports that communities in Nairobi, especially low-lying informal settlements such as Kibera, are bracing for possible flooding as Kenya enters its short rainy season and forecasters warn that El Niño could bring unusually heavy rainfall. Residents interviewed by the broadcaster described damage from earlier floods this year, when dozens of people died across Kenya and homes near rivers were inundated.

The report focuses on Agnes Shikoli, a Kibera resident who lives close to the Ngong River and fears both collapse of flimsy housing and rising water. She said a relative died during the March flooding, underscoring how exposed riverside settlements can be. Local officials told BBC Africa that blocked drains, poor sewage systems and older infrastructure have worsened flood risk in a city that has grown far beyond the capacity of its drainage network.

The Nairobi County disaster management chief said extensive work is under way to clear rubbish from rivers and drains, and he estimated that major upgrades would require substantial investment. The article also notes government plans to use designated holding grounds if residents must be moved temporarily. Separately, regional and UN-linked warnings cited in the report suggest that hundreds of thousands of people in Kenya could be affected by displacement linked to floods, although the timing and severity of the rains remain uncertain. The broader significance is that El Niño may intensify existing vulnerabilities in poor urban communities already struggling with weak housing and infrastructure.