Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen arrives at the Senate on Wednesday to respond to questions, September 16, 2026. /MINAKenya is shifting its approach to floods under a new disaster risk management system from emergency response to early action before disaster strikes guided by periodic weather forecasts.
The broader strategy brings together national and county governments, security agencies, humanitarian actors and development partners under a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
The Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC) is the entity coordinating preparedness and response.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen told the Senate on Wednesday that the National Disaster Risk Management Strategy 2025–2030 had entered its foundational implementation phase, with the government developing systems to anticipate risks and take action before disasters occur.
The strategy was officially launched on June 18, 2025, in collaboration with line ministries, county governments and development partners.
Its implementation has so far focused on institutional coordination, policy integration and resource mobilisation.
A key component is the Kenya Anticipatory Action Roadmap and Dashboard, which uses forecast information to trigger early interventions, marking a shift from reactive disaster response to proactive risk reduction.
“Kenya is entering a new era of disaster risk management. In this new era, we do not wait for disaster to strike; we anticipate it,” Murkomen said.
The new system links weather forecasts from the Kenya Meteorological Department to action coordinated through the National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC).
Under the arrangement, the Meteorological Department provides weather forecasts, severe weather warnings and sector-specific advisories.
NDOC then analyses the information, prepares advisories and recommends action before transmitting them to the Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration and other relevant authorities.
The information is then cascaded to ministries, the Council of Governors, regional and county commissioners and other administrative structures.
Public awareness is conducted through barazas, media engagements and social media, with national government administration officers responsible for taking the information to grassroots communities.
The measures can include alerts to communities at risk, evacuation planning, public education, activation of emergency plans and mobilisation of personnel, logistics and supplies.
The government says pre-emptive evacuation will be undertaken where necessary, with schools and other public facilities used as temporary shelters.
Flood-prone roads can also be closed as a preventive measure to protect lives and infrastructure.
The strategy is being backed by new flood-risk mapping and infrastructure planning.
Nairobi has developed a Flood Resilience Master Plan valued at approximately Sh47.2 billion for 2026–2028, targeting drainage improvements, flood-control infrastructure and climate-resilient urban development.
The government has also developed county multi-hazard risk profiles, or hazard atlases, alongside basin-specific flood-risk maps for areas including the Tana River and Lake Victoria basins.
Community-level and GIS-based mapping is also being used to provide more detailed information on flood risks.
Authorities have identified 16 major high-risk flood hotspots affecting up to 100,000 residents as the county "Green Army" and emergency teams actively desilt and clear waste-clogged stormwater channels.
Murkomen said the government was also pursuing a framework for relocating people living in high-risk flood-prone areas.
The approach is intended to be planned, voluntary and consultative, with support for affected households through cash transfers, in-kind assistance and livelihood restoration programmes.
Murkomen said the government is also seeking stronger legal and financial backing for the system, including fast-tracking the Disaster Risk Management Bill.
“That is why my ministry is prioritising and requesting this honourable House to fast-track the passage of the Disaster Risk Management Bill, to anchor our systems in law, eliminate institutional gaps, and provide clear authority and accountability across all levels,” Murkomen said.
