Eight people were on Monday and Tuesday killed after two perimeter walls collapsed on their houses following the heavy rains. Another body was found afloat under the Nyali Bridge on Monday.
The county government has warned of mudslides in several areas, including Jomvu and Changamwe constituencies. On Tuesday, Joho asked residents living in mudslide-prone areas to move to safer ground. He said all the subcounties’ social halls will be used as rescue centres, until a permanent solution is found.
However, speaking in Junda in Mishomoroni, Kisauni constituency, where more than 20 families have been displaced by the floods, Shahbal accused Joho of failing to tackle the drainage issue in time.
He said the county government has also allowed the mushrooming of informal settlement by giving out construction permits without following the right procedures.
“These floods and deaths are a result of poor physical planning and the poor drainage system. This is the reason why President Uhuru Kenyatta was here some few months ago to launch a storm water drainage system and some people talked bad about it,” Shahbal said.
During the launch of the Bamburi Storm Water Drainage System, Joho took a swipe at Uhuru, accusing him of riding on donor-funded projects.
Shahbal said once elected, there will be a good working relationship between the national and the county governments to ensure the Mombasa drainage system is upgraded.
He said he will ensure construction laws are followed while licensing developers. His running mate, lawyer Ananiah Mwaboza, said they will bring change to Mombasa after the August 8 General Election.
“We cannot blame the wananchi for building houses on waterways, wetlands or quarries. This is due to the rampant corruption at the county government offices that are in charge of physical planning,” Mwaboza said.
Shahbal and Mwaboza said they will bring in water bowsers to drain the water that has displaced people in Junda and other places.
“People might see floods here, but we are seeing an opportunity to harvest this water and store it to be used during the dry spell,” Shahbal said.
More than 100 families are believed to have been displaced by the rains in Junda alone. Shahbal urged well-wishers to help Jubilee Party in Mombasa to assist the affected families. “We shall donate food, bedding and other donations to all the affected people,” he said.
Last year, Mombasa leaders said the haphazard construction of buildings, clogged drainage and substandard work by some road contractors were the main causes of floods.
The leaders called for an education drive to inform residents on waste disposal. Nyali MP Hezron Awiti said, “We are surprised that a small amount of rainfall can lead to major floods in Mombasa. Not everything must be done by the county government. We must all take responsibility for where we live.” Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir said the major problem is that people have for a long time been allowed to build on non-designated areas.
“This is why we need to support Vision 2035, because it addresses these issues. Mistakes have been made in the past and now we need to correct them,” he said.