- On NTV’s Last Word, Sharmila D’Cunha, Managing Director of Print Well Industries, recounted how her printing press—critical to Kenya’s CBC textbook supply was swallowed by 11 inches of water.
As the March rains wreak havoc across Kenya, the haunting cry of “Serikali saidia!” echoes once again—this time not from the flooded plains of Nyando, but from submerged businesses, broken infrastructure, and frustrated citizens.
The phrase, immortalized by Jane Anyango Adika in 2012, began as a desperate plea and morphed into a national meme. But behind the humor lies a hard truth: Kenyans still look up, waiting for help that rarely comes.
During Mwai Kibaki’s presidency, the government responded not only with aid, but also with a challenge. Kibaki urged citizens to “help the government” instead of always asking for help. That philosophy of self-reliance clashed with the reality on the ground—where floods, displacement, and destruction continue to hit the most vulnerable.
This year, 71 lives have already been lost. And the stories keep coming.
On NTV’s Last Word, Sharmila D’Cunha, Managing Director of Print Well Industries, recounted how her printing press—critical to Kenya’s CBC textbook supply was swallowed by 11 inches of water.
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Machinery, stocks, finished goods all gone. “We can print 30,000 to 40,000 books a day,” she said. But now, 12 days have passed without a single page printed. The ripple effect? A looming textbook shortage for learners across the country.
And it’s not the first time. In 2024, the same factory shut down for five months. No insurance payout. No government support. “We rebuilt on our own,” she said. This time, the damage is worse, and the silence louder.
Insurance companies cite proximity to the riverbank. Yet the business has operated there for 20 years. “We are taxpayers. We create value. How are we supposed to get back on our feet?” she asks, her voice heavy with frustration.
Online, Kenyans responded with mixed emotions. Some blame poor planning. Others call for accountability from county officials who allowed land sales near water bodies.
One user writes: “Once beaten, twice shy. Why rebuild on the same spot?”
Another calls for a class-action suit against Nairobi County for irresponsible land subdivision.
On March 16, 2026, during an interview on National Television, Former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion insisted that the solution lies in infrastructure. Kenya must rethink its urban planning, drainage systems, and enforcement of environmental laws. Settlements on riparian land, he says, are a ticking time bomb.
So here we are again. The floods return. The cries grow louder. And the question remains: how long will Kenyans wait for help that may never come?
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