Veteran ODM politician Millie Odhiambo spent nearly three hours stuck in traffic on Friday night after heavy rains flooded major roads across Nairobi.
The National Assembly Minority Chief Whip was heading to Movenpick Hotel for an International Women’s Day event hosted by NTV when the storm slowed movement across the city.
The downpour, which began in the late afternoon, quickly turned roads into rivers. Floodwaters spread across key highways and streets, leaving motorists stranded. Some drivers abandoned their vehicles, while others struggled to push stalled cars through rising water.
Odhiambo later shared her experience on Facebook, describing the long wait in traffic. She said the journey was exhausting but kept a calm mood, even joking about the situation in a short video.
Despite the delay, she eventually arrived at the hotel as the event was nearly over. Odhiambo thanked the organizers and praised the resilience of women leaders attending the celebrations, noting that the evening highlighted strength and leadership even amid challenges.
Across Nairobi, the flooding caused chaos on several major roads. Mombasa Road was among the worst affected, with sections near South C, Greenpark underpass, and the road linking to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport blocked for hours.
Drivers reported stalled cars and matatus struggling to pass, while pedestrians waded through knee-deep water mixed in some areas with overflow from sewers.
To ease traffic, the Nairobi Expressway operator opened the toll road for free between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., helping many motorists escape the worst flooded sections and reach the city centre and Westlands.
The incident again raised concerns about Nairobi’s drainage systems, which frequently fail during heavy rains. Residents have called for long-term solutions to prevent similar dangerous conditions in future rainy seasons.
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