Lamu Unveils Disaster risk management policy

In a bid to address disaster and other arising emergencies in Lamu County, the devolved government has unveiled a Disaster Risk Management Policy.
The policy will help in preparedness, prevention, protection, recovery, and provision of relief to the affected victims.

The document was  unveiled in Malindi and it is called “the Lamu county disaster risk management Policy 2021and shall also help in building resilience to the communities prone to disasters, easy response, and prevent risks of disasters.

It was done through the support of USAID will also help stakeholders by ensuring they do risk assessment, promote sustainable development and vulnerability of the community.

Lamu County Governor Fahim Twaha who officially unveiled the policy at the Dream of Africa conference in Malindi said the DRM policy outlines the county’s strategy to establish itself as a strategic county for disaster risk reduction initiatives in accordance with the framework for disaster risk reduction 2015 to 2020.

He said the disaster act will assist Lamu in clarifying roles and responsibilities and help in coordination mechanisms for disaster risk management across all sectors by providing a legal foundation for all aspects of disaster risk management.

“This includes risk reduction through preparedness, response, and recovery as well as providing an enabling environment for actions downstream,” he said.

The Governor said it was encouraging to see that USAID in collaboration with Lamu county Government PSM department fully engaged stakeholders in the preparation of the document taking into account the concerns of the people.

He said the document will play a key role in realizing the county’s goals of being a disaster-prepared county.

Twaha said the County is positioned as an attractive industrial hub due to the availability of reliable power, decent roads, and proximity to the Lapsset project.

He said since 2019 his office has been collaborating with USAID KUZA to assist Lamu county in meeting its desired objectives on various levels.

“I am also aware of the Week-long program where USAID KUZA has been assisting in disseminating pending policies such as monitoring and evaluating policy that has become a prerequisite for effective reforms,” he said.

Further, he said USAID KUZA is also helping in developing other bills such as Peace Building and conflict management policy public participation and civic education policy.

He assured the USAID that all the bills will have his full support and blessings once they have been passed by the county assembly adding that they would be implemented effectively.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to US Aid for their tremendous assistance I request for their continuous support, we will continue to collaborate, unite and consult in order to make Lamu a safer more secure, and developed county as well as a home for every investor,” he said.

Wayne Bright the Chief of Party USAID CUZA a USAID-funded project that works to develop economic opportunities throughout the frontier counties.

She said Lamu has been the first county among the FCDC counties where they have worked collaboratively to develop policies that will improve the development of the cunty.

He said for the last month they have been working with the county to develop the frontier counties development council bill, regional peace, and coordination policy.

“We have been working closely with the ICT department on E-government solutions for Lamu county as well,” she said.
for the last 69 months, she said they have been working with Lamu county to make sure they come up with the disaster management policy in place.

So far Bright said they are pleased to launch the policy for Lamu county and look forward to seeing the county government implement the policy.

She said their project has a fund called the Impact in Northern Kenya fund which lends money to financial institutions to lend to SMEs in FCDCs regions.

“They continue to provide loans to the people of Lamu, additionally we have also worked with Lamu county’s revolving fund to provide fund management training to ensure you are able to dispose the county resou8res to the people to the people that are in need of it,’ she said.

John Githiaka the Capacity development adviser with the USAID Kuza program in the frontier counties development council said the program works in four broad areas including supporting a policy enabling environment, strengthen institution and governance capacity.

He said the program also seeks to promote investments in the private sector and strengthen of county integrated and monitoring evaluation systems including disaster risk management,

Githaiga said they worked with the county to develop the disaster risk management policy, act, and management policy framework.

“This is the first to be launched in the 10 FCDC counties and it has testament in the work that the county team has done,” he said.

The Capacity development advisor said they also launched the investment prospectus for cotton processing and fish processing of Lamu county which are all aimed at strengthening of the economic prospects of the county.