Strategic Measures Employed by the National Drought Management Authority for Drought mitigation in Kenya

Abstract

Most countries across the world are still adopting the crisis management approach in their drought management efforts. This approach has been criticized due to its reactive nature. Researchers emphasize the need for a more strategic and proactive drought management approach. In Kenya, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) was constituted to manage the persistent droughts that are experienced in the country. However, there is paucity on research focusing on the strategic measures that the organization has adopted to achieve this goal. The study at hand was guided by theories such as strategic alliances theory and organizational adaptation theory to investigate the strategic measures that the NDMA has adopted and their effectiveness. It adopted a correlational research design. Primary data was collected from a random sample of 86 NDMA employees through a self-developed questionnaire. The questionnaire was pilot tested among 10 managers to ensure its validity. The researcher gave out 86 questionnaires but only 80 were returned and upon data cleaning they were used in data analysis. Data analysis was achieved through descriptive statistics and presented through tables. There were 54 males who took part compared to 26 female participants. The study established that there is a relationship between drought monitoring and early warning systems and drought mitigation in Kenya. The study also revealed that there are challenges to drought mitigation which include lack of political goodwill or government support and persistence of illegal tree logging. According to this study the lack of a sound policy framework and the focus on short-term goals are also identified as challenges NDMA encounters in carrying out its mandate. NDMA however collaborates with other organizations both public and non-governmental by sharing of information. In addition, there was a significant relationship between collaboration, education, and training as well as government support in contributing to drought mitigation in Kenya. The NDMA should embrace education and training as a means of equipping farmers to respond to the needs and challenges of climate change. The organization should also develop a framework for enlightening farmers about the best farming methods and practices in light of climatic changes. The government is encouraged to increase its support to NDMA to facilitate attainment of the mandate. Future researchers can also explore the measures that can be adopted to curb the challenges to drought mitigation including illegal tree logging and occupation in catchment areas.