The National Disaster Risk Management Act no. 16 of 2026.

This Act, divided into eight parts and consisting of 57 sections, establishes the National Disaster Risk Management Authority and County Disaster Risk Management Committees. The Act describes the following objectives: providing for a legislative framework for disaster risk management; enhancing effective and co-ordinated disaster preparedness, prevention, response, mitigation and recovery; providing for appropriate and dignified assistance and relief to victims and casualties of disasters; promoting inclusiveness and a multidisciplinary and multisectoral approach to disaster management; reducing disaster risks and vulnerabilities at the national and county levels of government; enhancing resilience to the impacts of disaster risks and climate change at both the national and county levels. While achieving its goals, the Act aims at protecting vulnerable groups including women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons of the society, and at ensuring a comprehensive approach to Disaster Risk Management for balancing between the reduction of risk and the enhancement of community resilience. The Act defines the following relevant terms: climate change adaptation; disaster, a progressive or sudden, widespread, localised, natural or human-caused occurrence which causes or threatens to cause: death, injury or disease, damage to property, infrastructure or the environment, or significant disruption of the life of a community, and is of a magnitude that exceeds the ability of those affected by the disaster to cope with its effects using only their own resources; disaster risk management; disaster risk reduction; early warning system; emergency; hazard; mitigation measures; reconstruction; risk assessment; vulnerability.
Part II of the Act concerns the establishment of the National Disaster Risk Management Authority and the definition of its functions: co-ordination and implementation of disaster risk management; collaboration with relevant regional and international agencies and institutions in disaster risk management; advising the national and county governments on disaster risk management measures; developing and co-ordinating implementation of national and county disaster risk management policies, strategies, plans, projects, programmes and budgets; promoting and co-ordinating research in disaster risk management; facilitating capacity building for disaster risk management at both the national and county levels of government; co-ordinating the provision of psycho-social support to persons affected by a disaster or involved in disaster risk management; co-ordinating and supporting public awareness campaigns and civic education programmes on disaster risk management; monitoring and evaluating disaster risk management programmes and projects; co-ordinating the preparation and maintenance of national, county and sub-county disaster risk atlases including data banks and information on potential hazards and vulnerabilities; co-ordinating resource mobilisation strategies; developing climate change adaptation strategies to prevent, respond and mitigate the effects of disasters arising as a result of climate change; carrying out and coordinating national damage and loss assessment in respect to disasters; ensuring the implementation of international obligations related to disaster risk management. Part III of the Act concerns the classification of disaster, plans and electronic information system; role of non-governmental organisations and private sector organisations involved in disaster risk management; development of disaster risk management plan; classification of disasters according to its magnitude and severity or potential magnitude and severity.
Part IV of the Act concerns the establishment of County Disaster Risk Management Committees and the definition of their tasks and duties. Part V focuses on financial provisions. Part VI concerns miscellaneous measures including: limitation of the right to access information; misappropriation of relief money or material; false alarm; false claim.