Construction workers across Mombasa County are facing a slowdown after a directive from Governor Abdulswamad Nassir. The County has banned the mixing of concrete, ballast, sand and cement at construction sites, giving contractors with existing approvals 48 hours to use the materials they already have.
Addressing the media on September 12, Nassir said the ban will take effect on Monday, after which there will be “zero tolerance” for mixing concrete at construction sites.
The governor urged construction stakeholders to use the 48-hour window to use the cement and sand they already have, while keeping unused ballast to avoid storage concerns.
“To mix concrete, ballast, sand, and cement on site is no longer acceptable in Mombasa. For those who had their approvals done a while back, please finish all the cement and sand you have within the next 48 hours. Because commencing Monday, no one is going to be allowed to mix at the site,” he said.
Mombasa Gives Contractors 48 Hours to Stop Concrete Mixing
Contractors who have not used their ballast within the 48-hour period have been directed to move it into storage pending further guidance.
The governor said the decision was prompted by concerns over construction materials left along roadsides during the rainy season.
He said sand and ballast can contribute to flooding by obstructing roads and walkways when rainwater runs off.
“We have a population that we need to be able to protect,” Nassir said, explaining the need to stop the mixing of sand, ballast and cement at construction sites.
He said the county is also monitoring quarrying activities. If rainfall increases, Nassir said, all forms of quarrying could be stopped.
The Department of Transport will also engage stakeholders and brief them on the measures being considered.
Nassir said some categories of vehicles, particularly heavy commercial vehicles, could also be restricted to specific time periods as part of measures being considered to manage the situation.
Also Read: Kenya Met Explains How 2026 El Niño Compares to 1997
Counties At Risk of Flooding
Different counties are stepping up disaster preparedness ahead of the expected El Niño rains. Measures include activating multi-agency response teams, clearing drainage systems and preparing emergency medical facilities.
The government identified 18 counties as high-risk areas, particularly in the Coast, Lake, Northeastern and Rift Valley regions.
They include Tana River, Kilifi, Lamu, Mombasa, Kwale, Kisumu, Busia, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori, which face the risk of flash floods and riverine flooding.
Additionally, the national government directed the Treasury to release an additional Ksh10 billion to county governments to support humanitarian responses, food distribution and the rehabilitation of infrastructure affected by the rains.
Also Read: Govt Orders Evacuation in 5 Regions Ahead of El Niño Rains
In Nairobi, Governor Sakaja Johnson’s administration has deployed 3,500 new environment officers under the Green Nairobi initiative.
The officers have been tasked with manually clearing blocked drainage channels, removing waste and opening waterways to help reduce the risk of flash floods.
Disaster response teams have also mapped 246 to 247 flood hotspots across all 17 sub-counties.
The identified areas will receive priority in resource allocation, physical monitoring, and the deployment of emergency response teams.
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