Kenya Red Cross puts rescue boats and teams on standby in Nairobi after flood response delays
By Nancy Marende, March 7, 2026The Kenya Red Cross Society has placed rescue teams and boats on standby across Nairobi after delays hampered emergency response efforts during recent flooding in the city.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Saturday, March 7, 2026, the Kenya Red Cross Secretary General, Ahmed Idris, said the scale of the situation caught responders off guard, stretching the organization’s teams beyond what had initially been anticipated.
“What we witnessed was far beyond the impact we had anticipated. Our teams were extremely stretched,” Idris said while speaking about the organization’s response to the floods.
He explained that one of the biggest challenges faced by rescue teams was the state of roads across the city, which significantly slowed down movement and delayed emergency operations.
“One of the things that delayed our response was that the roads were a complete mess. You couldn’t move anywhere,” he said.
Idris noted that traffic gridlock and flooded routes made it extremely difficult for emergency responders to access affected areas in time.
“It was taking us nearly two hours to move from South C to Kirinyaga Road,” he added,
Following the experience, the Kenya Red Cross has since reviewed the situation and reorganized its emergency response protocols to improve preparedness for similar incidents in the future.
“As we have reviewed the situation, we have reorganized our protocols and preparedness. We believe we are better prepared to deal with any eventualities,” Idris stated.
He revealed that the organization has now deployed three emergency response teams across Nairobi and placed them on standby to respond quickly in case of further flooding or emergencies.
“As we speak now, we have three teams in Nairobi on standby, including two boats with fully trained aqua rescue teams,” he said.
The move, Idris explained, is part of the organization’s effort to strengthen its readiness and ensure faster response times should heavy rains or flooding occur again.
“We have put our best teams forward,” he added.