City Hall Launches Day 2 of ‘Operation Okoa Maisha’ El Niño Emergency Simulation

Nairobi City County launched the second day of Operation Okoa Maisha, an emergency simulation exercise aimed at testing the city's readiness for the anticipated El Niño rains. The operation, held at Central Park, involves multiple agencies working under the “One County, One Plan, One Command” framework. The exercise, led by Bramwell Simiyu, Chief Officer for Disaster Coordination, brings together national and emergency response agencies to assess command structures, communication, deployment procedures, and coordination mechanisms.

A central Command Post has been set up to coordinate information and relay it to response teams in affected areas. This exercise comes as Nairobi prepares for the expected heavy rains, with the county having identified 227 flood hotspots and working with residents to strengthen early-warning systems and evacuation preparedness. Operation Okoa Maisha also aims to identify gaps in Nairobi’s emergency preparedness and response systems before the rainy season intensifies.