Nakuru City, Tomorrow Cities Lead Community Driven Workshop For Disaster Resilience And Future Safety

Writtten by Nabwire Naholi

Nakuru City is making significant strides towards securing its future against disasters. With support from Tomorrow Cities and UN-Habitat, the team held a two-day workshop bringing together local voices, experts and those most affected by the devastating floods and heavy rains that have long plagued the city.

The workshop started with future visioning encouraging participants to imagine a flood-resilient Nakuru by 2050. Attendees envisioned neighbourhoods with flood-resistant infrastructure, green spaces to manage excess water and better drainage systems.

Various vision statements were generated with diverse representation from women, PWDS, the elderly, business communities and faith-based organizations ensuring an inclusive approach to the city’s future planning.

Participants engaged in co-mapping sessions laying out urban scenarios on maps and identifying flood-prone areas. They highlighted key locations where flood protection measures need improvement and explored ways to better reimagine these spaces to withstand heavy rains. The participatory approach ensured that every group contributed to shaping the city’s flood resilience strategy.

The ideas, maps, and shared visions developed during the workshop will guide the next phases of the project which will focus on refining the solutions and creating detailed implementation plans with even deeper collaboration set to take place next week.

Speaking at the workshop, City Manager Mr Gitau Thabanja highlighted the administration’s commitment to making Nakuru a model of resilience in the face of climate-related challenges. He emphasized that these workshops are a crucial step towards achieving the goal.

Mr Thabanja also noted that H.E. Governor Susan Kihika has been a strong advocate for disaster-prevention efforts stressing the importance of proactive planning to safeguard Nakuru’s future.

Through these participatory exercises, Nakuru residents are preparing for the future and ensuring that their voices are at the heart of the city’s long-term disaster management plans.