The County Government of Kisumu, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is actively implementing the “Strengthening Urban Resilience to Emerging Disaster and Climate Risk Project.”
This ongoing initiative, set to run until March 2026, is designed to significantly enhance Kisumu’s capacity to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to emerging risks. Funded by the Governments of Denmark and South Korea, the programme targets high-risk urban contexts particularly vulnerable to floods, heatwaves, environmental degradation, and conflict.
Kisumu County stands to benefit from contextualized and actionable risk information, improved governance systems, risk-informed urban planning, enhanced technical capacities, and the deployment of innovation, digital technology, and nature-based solutions.
A core part of the implementation is the equipping of the County’s Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) with cutting-edge tools for real-time risk analysis. This includes the acquisition of a flood mapping drone and 3D modelling software. This technology will drastically improve the County’s ability to monitor flood-prone zones, assess other potential hazards, and facilitate timely, data-driven decisions for disaster preparedness and response. The drone will also enable high-resolution mapping of critical infrastructure and vulnerable settlements, crucial for risk-informed urban planning and sustainable city development.
To ensure sustainability and local ownership, the project strongly emphasizes capacity development. Five technical officers from the County Government have already undergone professional training to acquire the Remote Pilot Licence (RPL), a requirement under the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA). The training was conducted by Drone Space, a KCAA-accredited firm, involving theory classes and on-site sessions.
These officers, selected based on their expertise in Disaster Management, Urban planning, and resilience building, will form Kisumu’s first in-house drone mapping and risk analysis team. Once certified, they will oversee continuous risk monitoring, data collection, and geospatial analysis, anchoring Kisumu’s urban resilience on local technical capacity and long-term sustainability.
Salmon Orimba, the County’s Executive Member in Charge of Disaster Risk Management, stated, “The integration of drone technology into our disaster management framework marks a turning point for Kisumu. For the first time, we will have real-time visibility of risk-prone areas, enabling faster, evidence-based responses. This initiative will strengthen our ability to protect communities and ensure that resilience is built into every aspect of our city’s growth.”
Raphael Mutitu, UNDP Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Specialist, noted that the collaboration with Kisumu County is part of UNDP’s commitment to ensuring that innovation and technology serve people at the local level. “By investing in tools, data, and capacity, we are building a foundation for sustained resilience where counties like Kisumu can anticipate risks before they escalate into disasters,” he added.
The introduction of drone mapping is a major milestone for Kisumu County, demonstrating how digital innovation, local capacity building, and strategic partnerships can strengthen city systems and safeguard lives and livelihoods. By embedding data-driven approaches and technological innovation in disaster management, Kisumu City, under Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o’s commitment—highlighted by signing the Making Cities Resilient MCR 2030 with the United Nation’s Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)—is paving the way for a safer, more resilient, and climate-smart urban future.
