Kenya is currently experiencing rains in volumes not seen before. As of Friday 10th May 2024, at least 267 people have been killed, 188 injured and 75 still missing in Kenya due to the devastating floods. Roads in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, have turned into rivers due to heavy rain, leading to extreme flooding levels exacerbating traffic jams. About 56,367 households have been displaced, affecting around 380,573 people, and 1,967 schools have had their infrastructure destroyed by the floods interfering with the normal school calendar.
The on-going floods have not only tested the resilience of cities but also exposed the need for closer cooperation between county governments and state agencies whose roles converge with counties as sub-national level in disaster management. What steps need to be taken to ensure that counties are better equipped to prevent, prepare, manage and recover from disasters such as the recent flooding events in the future? How can institutions at national and sub-national levels coordinate better in during hazards to prevent disasters?
Connective Cities - the International Community of Practice for Sustainable Urban Development, is glad to invite you to a dialogue session with local governments in Kenya on their experiences with the recent floods and lessons learnt.