By Reporter
The County Government of Kisumu is committed to advancing disaster preparedness response. The CECM for Public Service, County Administration and Participatory Development, Salmon Orimba, reaffirmed the county’s commitment to advancing disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience across Kenya.
Orimba, who spoke during a consultative meeting on Disaster Risk Management, said the county was developing a Disaster Response Policy which is in the process of being published as a draft. He said the policy was currently before the public for their participation and ownership.
The meeting resolved that the county governments, under the leadership of CECMs, should establish and operationalize fully resourced county disaster response management units with clear mandates, structures, and dedicated budget lines by the end of FY 2025/26.
The Chair of the Council of Governors in charge of the DRM CECM Caucus, Esther Muthoni Ndung’u, who is also Nyeri County Sports CECM, said they will ensure that DRM is integrated into CIDPs, ADPs, and county budgeting processes.
“We will lobby for adequate budgetary allocations for DRM and leverage partnerships with development partners, the private sector, and civil societies,” she said.
Ndung’u said that the CoG shall provide technical support to counties in fast-tracking the enactment and implementation of County DRM Bills and Policies. She added that the CoG Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Committee shall undertake a comprehensive mapping of all partners and stakeholders engaged in the Disaster Risk Management sector with the aim of establishing a consolidated database to guide, coordinate, collaborate, and mobilize resources.
The meeting, which received technical and financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), brought together key partners including UNICEF, UNDP, UNDRR, NDOC, and the National Treasury, whose participation underscored the importance of intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder collaboration in strengthening disaster resilience.
