The government is in the process of adopting a system of sending emergency alerts to Kenyans before and during climatic disasters to improve response and reduce losses.
Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy, on Wednesday, May 21, said they are considering the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) that will be used to issue emergency alerts to enhance safety of Kenyans during calamities.
CAP is the international standard format that is used by authorities to disseminate emergency alerts and warnings through multiple channels, simultaneously, to ensure the public receives information swiftly.
These channels include text messages to mobile phones, local news media, social media, and sirens. The system is designed to ensure the reliable dissemination of critical information to the public and first responders during emergencies.
CAP alerts are, in most cases, engineered to be both human and machine readable to facilitate their processing and integration in various systems.
"Early Warning Systems are feasible disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation measures that save lives and provide return on investment," the ministry said.
Speaking during the launch of Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL), Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary Stephen Isaboke emphasised that broadcasters and telecommunications companies should always ensure they display special early warning messages during these disasters.
The PS further said the government is also in the process of expanding the country's communications capacity, especially to remote areas, to ensure everybody is on high alert and prepared during climatic disasters.
“Our work is to ensure that we expand our communication infrastructure to the remotest parts of the country. We also endeavour to communicate in all languages to ensure no one is left behind,” the PS said.
The announcement comes a day after the National Assembly Committee on Environment, Forestry, and Mining called for the integration of traditional forecasting methods in the Meteorological Bill 2023, which was sponsored by the Senate Majority Leader, Aaron Cheruiyot.
The committee vice chair, Charles Kamuren, asserted that the Traditional Indigenous Knowledge (TIK) has proven to work in the forecasting of weather and thus should be included in the bill. The bill seeks serious repercussions, including a five-year imprisonment, Ksh5 million in fines, or both, for people who forecast the weather without a permit
"The issue of indigenous knowledge is important here. We can't rule them out. The traditional weather forecast, where some communities predict the weather by looking at animal intestines or the movement of birds, has proven to be accurate. There is a need to incorporate it in this Bill," Kamuren said on Tuesday, May 20.
Some of the most common traditional weather forecasting methods include observing dew on the grass in the morning, the colour and shape of clouds, patterns of stars, among others.
