Why Ida Odinga Wants Learners Taught Disaster Management Skills

By Kepher Otieno - Reporter

Kenya, 3 January 2026 - Ida Odinga’s call for the integration of disaster management education into Kenya’s school curriculum has reignited debate on the country’s preparedness for recurring emergencies, as disasters continue to claim lives and strain livelihoods across the country.

Speaking in Bondo during a visit by environmentalists and climate change professionals, Ida warned that Kenya remains largely reactive in its response to disasters, often taking action only after tragedy has occurred.

She noted that communities frequently ignore early warning signs, increasing the scale of destruction when disasters eventually strike.

“We should not always wait for the disaster to happen to be able to look around for how we can manage it now,” she said.

Ida emphasised that disasters are not isolated events confined to specific regions or environments but are part of everyday risks faced by Kenyans. From busy highways and water bodies to homes, schools, and workplaces, emergencies can occur at any time.

“Disaster is a disaster,” she said, stressing that whether caused by human activity or natural forces, the consequences are often devastating.

Kenya has faced a growing number of disasters in recent years, including deadly road accidents, seasonal flooding, fires, landslides, droughts, and building collapses.

According to official reports, road crashes remain one of the leading causes of death nationwide, while floods linked to climate change have repeatedly displaced thousands of families, destroyed infrastructure, and disrupted food production.

Urban fires, particularly in informal settlements, have also become a recurring threat, leaving families homeless and exposing gaps in emergency response capacity.

In rural areas, landslides and prolonged droughts continue to undermine livelihoods, especially among farming communities.

Experts warn that climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of many of these disasters, placing additional pressure on already stretched response systems.

Against this backdrop, Ida appealed directly to the Ministry of Education to integrate disaster preparedness and management into the national curriculum at all levels of learning.

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She argued that equipping children with basic knowledge on risk awareness, emergency response, and safety practices would foster a culture of preparedness that extends into adulthood.

“Disaster management should be a subject that is taught at all education levels, taught to everybody, so that children as they grow up they know there can be disaster and that disaster can be managed,” she said.

Education experts agree that early exposure to disaster preparedness can significantly reduce loss of life and property. Teaching students how to recognise warning signs, respond to emergencies, and adopt preventive measures can strengthen community resilience and improve coordination during crises.

Schools are also viewed as effective platforms for passing safety knowledge to households, as children often share what they learn with their families.

Currently, Kenya’s disaster response framework is largely focused on emergency relief and recovery, with limited emphasis on prevention and public education.

Analysts argue that this approach is costly and unsustainable, as it places government and humanitarian agencies under constant pressure to respond to avoidable crises.

Ida’s remarks add weight to ongoing conversations about the need to shift Kenya’s disaster management strategy from reactive response to proactive planning and resilience building.

Advocates say embedding disaster preparedness in education would complement existing early warning systems and community-based initiatives, creating a more informed and responsive population.

As climate-related risks and human-induced disasters continue to rise, calls for stronger preparedness measures are expected to grow louder.

For many observers, Ida Odinga’s message underscores a simple but critical point: reducing the impact of disasters begins not at the scene of tragedy, but in classrooms, long before emergencies occur.