Nairobi tests flood response as agencies set up emergency command centre

Nairobi has begun testing its flood emergency response ahead of the October-December rains, with national and county agencies setting up a joint command centre at Charter Hall.

The exercise, dubbed Operation Okoa Maisha, is intended to test how authorities would respond to flooding and other emergencies, including the flow of information, deployment of rescue teams and evacuation of residents from high-risk areas.

The exercise brings together the Nairobi County Government, National Disaster Operations Centre, Kenya Red Cross, Kenya Defence Forces, Kenya Coast Guard and other emergency agencies.

Charter Hall will serve as the central coordination point during the exercise, with participating agencies expected to relay reports from the field to a single command post.

Governor Johnson Sakaja said the arrangement was intended to avoid different agencies working with separate information during an emergency.

The preparations come amid renewed attention to Nairobi’s vulnerability to flooding, particularly in areas around the Mathare, Ngong and Nairobi rivers.

Source: Capital FM