Kenya and the United Kingdom have partnered in disaster management training.
Through the partnership, more than 30 members of Kenya’s National Disaster Management Unit have been trained in their capacity to be more effective first responders to disasters.
These include earthquakes, collapsed buildings and other emergencies.
The eight-day Urban Search and Rescue training was conducted by the UK International Search and Rescue (ISAR) Team at the Disaster Risk Battalion in Nairobi.
According to the British High Commission Nairobi, the UK-ISAR training team comprises experienced members of several UK Fire and Rescue services.
“Disasters such as earthquakes, industrial accidents, collapse of buildings and floods continue to pose serious challenges not just in Kenya but in the UK and across the world," the British High Commission’s Development Director Leigh Stubblefield said.
“It is imperative that upon the onset of such disasters, there is effective national response in search and rescue so that more lives are saved, and we are proud of this partnership to learn from the best of the Kenyan teams and share our own experience with them.”
The train-the-trainer model was used at both strategic and tactical levels benefitting officers from the National Disaster Management Unit of the Kenya Police and the Disaster Response Battalion in the military.
The training covered key skills including assessment and search techniques that will help in looking for victims for example upon earthquakes or collapse of buildings.
The trained first responders will also be able to assess safety of buildings through structural monitoring, shoring, lifting and moving collapsed infrastructure and clearing debris.
This initiative will significantly strengthen Kenya's emergency response capabilities, equipping first responders with advanced skills in responding to disaster scenarios.
In 2024, the UK announced an emergency funding uplift of over Sh140 million to support flood relief efforts in Kenya.
This provided cash assistance to approximately 6,900 households in the most affected counties including Nairobi, Tana River, Garissa, Lamu, Busia, Migori and Homa Bay.
The support that was delivered through UNICEF provided urgently needed health, nutrition and sanitation services.
This was done through integrated outreaches which included the provision of safe water for drinking, temporary sanitation facilities, and hygiene kits to families displaced by the floods.
