Shelter El Nino victims at affordable housing units, KHRC urge government

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has urged the government to consider using affordable housing units as temporary shelters for families forced to evacuate flood-prone areas amid forecasts of heavy El Niño rains.

The commission warned that residents of informal settlements, particularly those living along the Nairobi River and other flood-risk zones, could face a repeat of the displacement witnessed during the 2024 floods.

KHRC Programme Manager Annette Nerima said government-built affordable housing units could provide safe temporary accommodation for families evacuated from areas considered dangerous.

“Affordable housing is an alternative for safety for those likely to be affected by the floods,” Nerima said, adding that schools and churches could also serve as emergency evacuation centres where additional space is required.

KHRC Executive Director Davis Malombe said people living in informal settlements should be prioritised in evacuation plans because they are among those most exposed to flooding.

“People within the informal settlements are actually the priority,” Malombe said.

The commission wants authorities to establish evacuation plans before the rains intensify, including identifying where displaced families will stay, how long they will remain there and what assistance they will receive.

KHRC said temporary accommodation should have clear time limits to enable both authorities and affected families to plan for longer-term solutions.

The proposals are informed by the 2024 floods, which displaced thousands of families in different parts of the country and left many without homes, belongings and livelihoods.

KHRC said it monitored the impact of the floods in areas including Baringo, Mathare, Mai Mahiu and informal settlements across Nairobi, where affected families struggled to access food, medicine and safe shelter.

The commission said the experience demonstrated the need for authorities to identify alternative accommodation before emergencies occur rather than evacuating residents without clear information on where they will go.

Residents have also called for greater transparency over government plans.

Lydia Barasa, a resident of Mukuru, said communities remained traumatised by the 2024 floods and subsequent demolitions.

“We want to know what the government is doing, what plans they are putting in place to make sure that we don’t go through the same trauma that we went through in 2024,” she said.

Malombe also called for residents to be involved in plans to clear drainage channels and prepare areas along the Nairobi River, saying communities should receive information about projects that could affect their homes.

KHRC said some human rights defenders were arrested in 2024 while protesting the eviction of flood-affected residents and demanding alternative accommodation.

The commission and the Defenders Coalition later assisted in securing their release.

The rights body now wants the government to integrate affordable housing into emergency preparedness plans and ensure no family is evacuated without a clear and dignified alternative shelter.