Nairobi County Governor Sakaja Johnson visited Mama Margaret Hospital in Korogocho yesterday and boasted about the state of the health facility in, ‘reducing the pressure and strain on Mama Lucy Hospital’.
At Mama Margaret hospital in Kariobangi earlier today. This 350 bed facility will reduce the pressure and strain on Mama Lucy Hospital. We have embarked on this process with @susanwafula_cs and MoH which will culminate on a full general facility for the People of Nairobi. pic.twitter.com/1DPA5wrpaf
— Sakaja Arthur Johnson (@SakajaJohnson) December 15, 2022
Sakaja was forced to address the garbage mess, by some Twitter influencers who have gained popularity in making him do that.
One Honey Farsafi, has not let the governor sleep in peace, she tweeted every day about the dire situation in her locality.
Mama Margaret Kenyatta Hospital is built directly on the drainage pathway, resulting in the collection of a mixture of sewer and stormwater to accumulate in the area with nowhere to go.
“I am born and raised here and I can remember the drainage here has not been like this. The problem began when the hospital was built it blocked the drainage. (When the hospital was being built) Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company came to try and help the situation by diverting the drainage but it seems their idea of a solution is also not working,” local Nyumba Kumi chairman John Mwangi said.
If this tweet pops on your tl I'm begging yet again to rt and give it attention. This is day 3 of trying to get @SakajaJohnson 's attention on this issue. It is our last resort. This sewer leakage has been at Korogocho slums for over 15 years. If it was some estate they'd pic.twitter.com/zZUSWQXMg4
— Hanifa (@Honeyfarsafi) November 4, 2022
“This is a deadly place. We have had people fall and drown. On the surface, it looks like a shallow place but this part where the water and garbage have accumulated is actually 10 feet deep,” he said, demonstrating it with a long piece of wood.
When it rains he says his job is to carry students going to school across.
Previously known as the Mathare-Korogocho Level 5 Hospital, Mama Margret Kenyatta hospital recently opened its doors to the public after more than a decade of stalled construction.
Construction of the facility started in the early 1990s but was grounded. However, the now-defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) was, in 2020, tasked to ensure its completion.
The Sh400 million refurbished hospital was expected to reduce the patient load at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, also a Level 5 facility, which serves more than 2.1 million people in the Eastlands area.
We could not get a comment from the Nairobi County administration that has since taken back all the functions that were once surrendered to NMS.
15 years? Will solve it. We found It’s a mixture of sewer and storm water. We are de-silting the clogged culverts and will follow up with the outfall. Thanks for raising it. pic.twitter.com/RVIJbsz5PV
— Sakaja Arthur Johnson (@SakajaJohnson) November 5, 2022
However, Nairobi Water defends itself against accusations of building a smaller detour of the drainage, laying the blame squarely on the Johnson Sakaja-led administration.
“We have to include room for development that is why we had to create a diversion for the drainage. I believe the issue is at the entrance of the pipe where the screen is blocked. Somebody needs to be collecting the garbage –and that is not us (Nairobi Water)–, to ensure that the water flows freely. I have instructed my officers to go and remove the screen maybe this will help both the garbage and water to drain, Nairobi Water and Sewerage managing director Nahashon Muguna said.
Member of County Assembly for Korogocho Absalom Odhiambo says that more needs to be done. He adds that if all key stakeholders come together a permanent solution can be found.
“I have tried having a dialogue with MCA Kariobangi because, to be honest, the garbage comes from his side. Garbage is just thrown on the roadside and when it rains it is collected by the water which drains here. When I engaged the county government I was told that Korogocho has been assigned two people to clean the area, and of the two one is a supervisor. So it does not make sense that only one person is charged with cleaning,” Mr Odhiambo lamented.