Disaster Management in the Country is Key

The National Assembly Committee on Regional Development chaired by Hon. Peter Lochakapong (Sigor) today met officials from the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) led by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lt. Col. (Rtd) Hared Hassan Adan.

The Committee invited the Authority officials to enlighten Members on the drought programs/activities undertaken by the Authority in the last three years. In addition, Members sought to know how the authority is prepared to deal with cases in drought stricken areas.

The mandate of the Authority is to ensure proper management of drought in Kenya in order to end drought emergencies, by exercising general supervisory control over all matters relating to drought management in the country, as directed by the National Drought Management Authority Act of 2016.

Hon. Lochakapong sought an explanation from the Authority on how it has tapped into the modern day technology, including the use of satellites in identifying drought stricken areas.

The Authority in their response stated that they have heavily invested in upgrading the early warning systems to enable them to collect enough accurate data that will inform them to respond timely and also share the data with counties and other stake holders.

The CEO also informed the committee on some of the challenges their facing in discharging their mandate, including limited funding and lack of proper coordination between the authority and counties. He requested the committee to assist the authorities in receiving more funding from the exchequer so as to meet the growing number of households that require support due to drought.