Video Of Backhoe Loader Being Used To Draw Floodwater From Nairobi Highway Puzzles Kenyans

• Nairobi experienced heavy rainfall, causing flooding on many roads, prompting efforts to mitigate the situation
• A video emerged showing a backhoe loader operator attempting to remove water from a flooded highway but inadvertently worsening the flooding
• The operator's method of pouring water onto the unaffected tarmac puzzled onlookers and drew funny reactions from netizens

On Wednesday, April 24, a deluge the previous night left several streets in Nairobi submerged.

A video surfaced showing efforts to address the flooding on one side of a highway.

Removing water from flooded Nairobi highway

The video amused many locals as it showed workers using a backhoe loader to transfer water from the inundated road.

However, rather than directing the water into a drainage tunnel, the operator was seen dumping it onto the opposite lane, which had remained dry.

People gathered on an overhead pedestrian bridge to watch the scene unfold.

The video was posted on Facebook by a user named Kevin Teya, who quipped:

“I know someone who can do it cheaply.”

The post sparked a flurry of comments from the online community, with some criticising the approach and others puzzled by the worker’s intentions.

Victor Wanjala:

"This is someone doing it expensively. To do it cheaply, you would require a gasoline pump, roughly 10 litres of petrol, and big-diameter hoses. In ten minutes, all the water is drained."

Kelvin Obwanda:

"Is there no water pump that uses diesel that they can hire?"

Engr Haron Khatsika Mwanzi:

"This is madness."

Lyno Linus Wasendwa:

"He is to be paid a million per second. Lazma work."

Henry Thie:

"Seriously! What are they doing."

Transport disrupted in Nairobi CBD as 2 huge trees fall

Separately, two trees fell along Moi Avenue, causing traffic disruption, with motorists looking for alternative roads.

The trees fell during the heavy downpour on Tuesday, April 23.

Operations were halted for most of Wednesday, April 24, and pedestrians were asked to find alternate pathways.

Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) cautioned Nairobi residents to steer clear of flooded highways.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report shared by Reliefweb indicated at least 32 people died while 25 others were injured as a result of heavy rains as of April 19.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.