Nairobi wins Sh152m UK funding for disaster management policy

City Hall. Nairobi County has won Sh152 million from the United Kingdom for the development of a disaster management policy. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The sponsorship, from Global Challenges Research Fund, is for the Nairobi Risk Hub, which is under the county’s disaster management department.
  • Hubs in Istanbul, Kathmandu and Quito will provide an opportunity for Nairobi to discuss its risk management experiences and take staff through exchange programmes.

Nairobi County has won £1.5 million (Sh152 million) from the United Kingdom for the development of a disaster management policy.

The sponsorship, from Global Challenges Research Fund, is for the Nairobi Risk Hub, which is under the county’s disaster management department.

THE HUB

The hub is a five-year project that will begin in March. It will provide support for the development of a risk management policy and underlying data, with the Sh152 million in applied research funding, over the next three years.

The funds will also cater for additional resources.

Dr Mark Pelling, the Professor in Geography at King’s College London (project sponsor) noted that the city now has an opportunity to develop policies, conduct training and risk assessment, and manage decision-support tools.

The hub programme resulted from collaboration between county officials Ann Mwenda, the chief officer of disaster management coordination, and Brian Kisali, the deputy director of fire rescue and disaster management.

The collaboration was through the Urban Africa Risk Knowledge Programme.

Dr Pelling recognised Eva Wairuko and Joseph Githoro for leading the county in applying for the funding.

He said hubs in Istanbul, Kathmandu and Quito will provide an opportunity for Nairobi to discuss its risk management experiences and take staff through exchange programmes.

MEETING

In March this year, Dr Pelling will hold the first substantial activity with the county's disaster management and coordination sector.

The three-day meeting in Mombasa will review the Nairobi County Disaster Management Act 2015 and help develop a Nairobi Disaster Management Plan and Policy.

“This will be a closed meeting with invitees from the World Bank, UN agencies and across the NCC and the Kenyan government," he said and invited the governor.

He noted that the plan is to develop the policy and see to it that is is implemented.