Boost as US Donates Disaster Preparedness Equipment to KDF

The United States donated disaster preparedness equipment worth over Sh130 million ($1million) to the Kenya Defense Forces. 

This was a boost for the KDF efforts to respond to many disasters which are on the rise.

This is among others aimed at supporting KDF’s first responder and search-and-rescue capabilities.

The four HAZMAT trucks and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear equipment were donated through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Department of Defense’s U.S. Africa Command.

“This equipment handover demonstrates commitment to the partnership between the United States and the KDF,” said U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman.

“The United States is proud to work collaboratively with Kenyan partners to improve abilities to respond to disasters.”

The equipment, which was handed over to the Disaster Response Battalion facility in Nairobi, will enable the KDF disaster response team to effectively conduct countering weapons of mass destruction operations within Kenya’s borders and regionally.

The donation was made possible under a program that supports investments to improve Kenya’s security capacities.

A set of trainings will follow within the next two years.

The trainees will learn to operate, maintain, and apply hands-on training of all equipment within the kit.

The mass casualty decontamination kits will provide a foundational knowledge focused on countering weapons of mass destruction response.

Providing support to the Disaster Response Battalion will ensure that Kenya has the capacity to plan for and execute effective and rapid response operations with little or no external assistance, officials said.

Response to disasters has been a challenge to government agencies.

The US and Kenya recently renewed their commitment to implementing instruments signed during the 2022 Bilateral Defense Forum, including a five-year security cooperation plan to enhance Kenya’s capabilities to counter violent extremist organizations, promote regional security, advance maritime surveillance, and bolster Kenyan military academic institutions.