Kenya races to prepare for El Niño as flood threat looms

The clock is ticking as Kenya races against the rain. From Nairobi to Kisumu, Garissa to Mombasa, counties are bracing for the El Niño season, with some fighting to undo last year’s damage before it is repeated. Nairobi County says it has mapped 272 flood hotspots and is preparing for a worst-case scenario that could put up to 20,000 households, or nearly 100,000 people, at risk. But safety professionals warn that billions being spent on drainage could count for nothing if one key requirement continues to be ignored: the law requiring buildings to be at least 30 metres from riverbanks. Brenda Wanga reports.