Ruto renames drought response committee, extends mandate to all natural disasters

President William Ruto has renamed the the National Steering Committee on Drought Response constituted in 2022 to the National Steering Committee on Disaster Response.

In a special gazette seen by the Star, Ruto said the Committee, shall in addition to mobilising resources to augment national emergency response actions, coordinate national response in situations of natural calamities.

"The National Steering Committee on Disaster Response shall mobilise resources to augment the Government’s national emergency response actions in alleviating the impact of floods, fires, landslides, earthquakes, and all other natural calamities that result in loss of lives and damage to property," it reads.

The Committee will be chaired by Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa.

The Committee will report to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, through the National Disaster Response Technical Committee.

The president has also renamed the private sector-led National Drought Mitigation Appeal Fund to the National Disaster Response Appeal Fund.

The fund will be managed by the Kenya Red Cross.

The Committee will support interventions and relief activities aimed at cushioning affected populations.

It will also support the development of a framework to calibrate the role of the private sector in climate change mitigation and adaptation to be anchored in national policy and legislation.

"In partnership with both National and County Governments, strengthen our national capacity for resilient recovery and support measures to protect development gains from recurrent national disasters," the notice reads.

Others appointed to the committee include Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi, Nasim Devji (Diamond Trust Bank), Shamaz Savani (African Banking Corporation Bank (ABC), Paul Rushdie Russo (KCB), Rebecca Mbithi (Family Bank), Jane Karuku (EABL) and Joshua Chepkwony (Jamii Telecommunications).

Others are Crispin Acholla, (British American Tobacco), Ahmed Idris Secretary-General, Kenya Red Cross, Edwins Mukabanah, (Kenya Bus Services), Patricia Mugambi Ndegwa (Impact Philanthropy Africa), Krishma Jitesh Chavda (ISHA Foundation) Hared Hassan (National Drought Management Authority), Pankaj Shah (Team Pankaj), Linus Kaikai (Kenya Editors Guild) Agnes Kalekye (Media Owners Association), and Gloria Ndekei, CEO (Kenya Private Sector Alliance Foundation).

Anthony Mwangi (Kenya Association of Manufacturers), Gideon Muriuki (Co-operative Bank of Kenya Limited), Dhanji Laxmanbhai Bhimji (Laxcon Group Limited) Martin Ochieng (Sasini Plc), Susan Chomba (World Resources Institute), Toseef Din ( M. P. Shah Hospital), Rita Kavashe (Isuzu Motors East Africa Limited), Nancy Njau (Family Bank Kenya Limited) and Stephen Jackson (Chairperson, Development Partnership Forum) will also form the committee.

The Drought Response Committee was constituted in 2022.