Ruto appoints Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa to head drought response committee

According to a Gazette Notice issued on Monday, the committee's formation was necessitated by the need to institutionalise the framework for mobilizing additional resources to address the worsening drought impacts.

The committee's primary interventions, according to President Ruto, will be in the areas of food, water, livestock, health, wildlife, energy, education, security, forestry, agriculture, and irrigation.

Members of the committee include, among others; Dr James Mwangi, CEO, Equity Bank Group Kenya PLC, Nasim Devji, CEO, Diamond Trust Bank, Shamaz Savani, CEO, African Banking Corporation Bank (ABC), Paul Rushdie Russo, CEO, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Group Rebecca Mbithi, CEO, Family Bank Kenya Limited, Jane Karuku, CEO, East African Breweries Limited, Joshua Chepkwony, CEO, Jamii Telecommunication Limited and Crispin Acholla, CEO, British American Tobacco. 

Other members of the committee will include: Dr Asha Mohammed - Secretary-General, The Kenya Red Cross, Edwins Mukabanah, CEO, Kenya Bus Services Management, Patricia Mugambi Ndegwa, Impact Philanthropy Africa, Krishma Jitesh Chavda, ISHA Foundation, andHared Hassan (Lt.) Col., National Drought Management Authority.

The committee will be tasked with establishing a private-sector-led National Drought Mitigation Appeal Fund in conjunction with the Kenya Red Cross, as well as mobilizing resources to supplement the government's drought response program in alleviating the impact of the country's drought.

The steering committee, which will report to the Deputy President, will also support interventions to protect affected populations from the effects of the ongoing drought, such as the cash transfer program.

The committee will also work with the national and county governments to strengthen the national capacity for resilient recovery in order to protect development gains from recurring droughts, as well as approve the opening and closing of bank accounts to be jointly operated by a representative from the private sector, the Kenyan government, and the Kenya Red Cross.

The Secretariat of the National Steering Committee on Drought Response will be based at Harambee House Annex.