GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 14508

WHEREAS, for the last four years our nation, like all other countries in the Horn of Africa Region, has experienced unexpected low rainfall; resulting in drought, poor harvests, and crop failure in some parts of the country; WHEREAS, this situation has been exacerbated by other previous disasters; including the desert locust invasion in 2019, the effects of COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 and 2021, and the disruptions in the global supply chain of food and farm inputs following adverse developments on the international stage; WHEREAS, as a result of the foregoing, the number of food vulnerable households in Kenya had by mid-November increased tremendously and spread in 20 Counties in the Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) as well as in 45 wards in 9 non-ASAL Counties; WHEREAS, eleven of the twenty acutely affected counties are in the drought risk classification stage of alarm phase, being the Counties of Turkana, Samburu, Tana River, Marsabit, Wajir, Isiolo, Mandera, Garissa, Kitui, Kajiado and Laikipia; WHEREAS, the other 9 of the 20 Counties are in the drought risk classification stage of alert phase, being the Counties of Meru, Tharaka-Nithi, Embu, Nyeri, Kilifi, Kwale, Taita-Taveta, Makueni and Narok; WHEREAS, the Government at both the National and County levels has in collaboration with other stakeholders been implementing a drought alleviation programme targeting the humanitarian needs of all affected households; WHEREAS, the Office of the Deputy President continues to provide inter-governmental leadership and co-ordination of drought response, supported by the Ministry of East African Community (EAC), The ASALs and Regional Development; Ministry of Interior & National Administration; The National Treasury & Economic Planning; and the Ministry of Defence as supported by the National Youth Service (NYS); WHEREAS, Kenya’s Private Sector, Non-Government Organizations and International Development partners have upon the request of the Government undertaken to scale-up their support towards the interventions to mitigate the effects of the worsening drought situation in the Country; WHEREAS, it has become necessary to institutionalize the framework for mobilization of additional resources to address the worsening drought impacts; with key target interventions being Food, Water, Livestock, Health, Wildlife, Energy, Education, Security, Forestry, Agriculture and Irrigation; and WHEREAS, there is a demonstrable public interest in further upscaling Kenya’s drought response and alleviation programme so as to address the growing humanitarian needs. NOW therefore, I, William Samoei Ruto, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Constitution and the Laws of the Republic of Kenya, do hereby: 1. Establish the National Steering Committee on Drought Response; 2. The National Steering Committee shall comprise of: Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom PLC — Chairperson Members: James Mwangi(Dr.), CEO, Equity Bank Group Kenya PLC, Nasim Devji, CEO, Diamond Trust Bank, Shamaz Savani, CEO, African Banking Corporation Bank (ABC), Paul Rushdie Russo, CEO, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Group Rebecca Mbithi, CEO, Family Bank Kenya Limited, Jane Karuku, CEO, East African Breweries Limited, Joshua Chepkwony, CEO, Jamii Telecommunication Limited, Crispin Acholla, CEO, British American Tobacco, Asha Mohammed (Dr.), Secretary-General, The Kenya Red Cross, Edwins Mukabanah, CEO, Kenya Bus Services Management, Patricia Mugambi Ndegwa, Impact Philanthropy Africa, Krishma Jitesh Chavda, ISHA Foundation, Hared Hassan (Lt.) Col., National Drought Management Authority Secretary: Murimi Murage, Office of the Deputy President 3. The Terms of Reference of the National Steering Committee shall be to: (a) Establish a private sector-led National Drought Mitigation Appeal Fund under the auspices of the Kenya Red Cross; 3:16 PM THE KENYA GAZETTE 21st November, 2022 8674 8674 (b) Mobilize resources to augment the Government’s drought response programme in alleviating the impact of the drought ravaging the country; (c) Support interventions to cushion the affected populations from the effects of the ongoing drought by way of relief activities, including the cash transfer programme; (d) In partnership with both National and County Governments, to strengthen the national capacity for resilient recovery to protect development gains from recurrent drought; (e) Approve the opening and closing of Bank Accounts to be jointly operated by a representative of the Private Sector, the Government of Kenya and the Kenya Red Cross; (f) Appoint an independent auditor from amongst our nation’s premier audit firms to prepare and certify the financial statements of the Fund; (g) Perform any other function or tasks as the Committee may find necessary in order to fully discharge its mandate. (h) In the performance of its mandate, the National Steering Committee shall— (i) report to the Deputy President; (ii) co-opt any person(s) as it may consider necessary or expedient for the proper performance of its functions or the effective discharge of its mandate; (iii) regulate its own procedure; and (iv) create sub-committees for the efficient and expedited discharge of its mandate; (i) The National Steering Committee on Drought Response will serve for a period of One (1) year with effect from the date hereof, or for such a period as may be specified by notice in the Kenya Gazette. (j) The Secretariat of the National Steering Committee on the Drought Response shall be based at Harambee House Annex, P.O. Box 74434–00200, Nairobi. ISSUED under the HAND AND SEAL of the President at State House, Nairobi. Dated the 20th November, 2022. WILLIAM SAMOEI RUTO, President.