Nairobi — Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and the Kenya Alliance of Residents Associations (KARA) have agreed to strengthen community participation in preparations for the expected El Niño rains and efforts to mitigate flooding across the city.

The partnership will see residents' associations play a greater role in disseminating early warning messages, identifying emerging risks and encouraging residents living in flood-prone areas to move to safer locations when necessary.

KARA Chief Executive Officer Henry Ochieng led the residents' associations delegation during discussions with the governor.

Sakaja said community involvement would be critical in ensuring that early warnings reach residents quickly, particularly those living in areas identified as vulnerable to flooding.

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The governor said residents' associations would also help report emerging risks to county authorities and support coordinated emergency response efforts.

The Nairobi County Government has identified 227 potential flood hotspots across the city as part of preparations for the rainy season.

The county will share the flood-risk map with KARA coordinators to enable residents' associations to organise preparedness activities at neighbourhood level.

The associations will mobilise residents to undertake clean-up exercises, clear drainage channels and identify households that may require assistance during flooding.

They will also support emergency reporting by alerting authorities to emerging flood risks and other hazards.

Sakaja urged Nairobi residents to dispose of waste responsibly, warning that blocked drainage systems can worsen flooding during heavy rains.

He also called on residents in high-risk areas to cooperate with evacuation measures whenever authorities issue warnings.

The governor said the priority was to prevent loss of life as the county prepares for the expected rains.

The community-led measures will complement ongoing county operations, including drainage clearance, desilting and multi-agency flood-response activities.

The county has been working with multiple agencies to improve Nairobi's preparedness and response capacity as it anticipates increased rainfall.

The partnership with KARA is expected to strengthen the flow of information between communities and emergency-response teams while ensuring that residents are actively involved in flood preparedness.

County officials are also encouraging neighbourhoods to identify vulnerable residents in advance so that emergency assistance and evacuation efforts can be better coordinated when flooding occurs.

The collaboration places residents' associations at the centre of Nairobi's flood preparedness strategy, with communities expected to help identify local risks before they develop into emergencies.

Through the partnership, KARA coordinators will work with neighbourhood groups to promote clean-ups, drainage maintenance, early-warning awareness and emergency reporting.

The county government has emphasised that preventing flooding-related deaths and protecting vulnerable households will remain a key priority during the rainy season.