10. National Risk Disaster Management Bill 2023

The Bill sought to provide a legal framework for managing disaster risks premised on seeking first to respond effectively and in a timely manner to disasters or disaster risk.

Quick Link: https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/bill/na/2023/24/eng@2023-05-31

· The Bill (which is currently in Parliament) seeks to provide a legal framework for managing disaster risks premised on seeking first to respond effectively and in a timely manner to disasters or disaster risks, to prevent adverse effects of disaster and to recover the livelihood of affected communities.

· It seeks to establish an Intergovernmental Council on Disaster Risk Management and a National Disaster Risk Management Authority to ensure coordination of disaster issues at both the national and county level. It also seeks to establish County Disaster Risk Management Committees in each county given the shared nature of the function of disaster management.

· The significance of this Bill is that it fills in a gap that was there as there was no legal framework at the national level on disaster risk management resulting in an uncoordinated and fragmented approach to disaster management whenever disasters occur, including collapse of buildings. This may spur increased demand and supply for housing given the comfort offered to developers and prospective home buyers.