The Cabinet has approved the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which will compel county governments to establish County Emergency Funds. The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi.
The legislation seeks to address the glaring gaps in emergency preparedness that were highlighted during the devastating 2023 El Nino rains. The Cabinet noted that the amendment aims to enhance financial readiness at the county level, ensuring timely responses to natural disasters and emergencies. “This measure will ensure predictability and strengthen emergency response to disasters,” the Cabinet stated, adding that the decision aligns with a directive issued at the 24th Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) in August 2024.
The 2023 El Niño episode stands out as one of Kenya’s worst climate-related disasters in recent history. Torrential rains caused widespread destruction, leading to the deaths of 174 individuals—133 adults and 41 children. According to the National El Niño Emergency and Disaster Control Centre, over 529,000 people from 105,824 households were displaced at the height of the crisis.
The deluge caused severe damage to key infrastructure. Major roads such as the Garissa-Madogo Road, Garissa-Wajir Road, and Isiolo-Moyale Highway became impassable, while bridges were submerged, disrupting transport and aid delivery. A total of 7,878 schools and 49 healthcare facilities were affected, severely limiting access to education and medical services.
The agricultural sector bore the brunt of the damage, suffering losses estimated at KSh16.26 billion due to the destruction of over 84,500 acres of farmland and the loss of 6,706 livestock, mainly goats and sheep.
In response, the government distributed more than 4,600 metric tonnes of food to affected counties and launched efforts to rehabilitate damaged infrastructure. By January 2024, the number of displaced households had decreased to 15,208 across 79 camps.
The approval of the bill marks a proactive step toward safeguarding lives and livelihoods, ensuring that counties are no longer caught off-guard by future emergencies.
