🇰🇪 Kenya
Last verified: July 2026 — validate with your local authorities during the annual update of the club directory.
1. Emergency numbers
| Service |
Number |
| General emergency (police, fire, medical) |
999 / 112 / 911 |
| Kenya Red Cross Society (ambulance dispatch, emergency & counselling, 24/7) |
1199 (toll-free) |
| National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC) |
0800 721 571 (toll-free) |
| Kenya Red Cross emergency medical service (ambulance) |
0700 395 395 / 0738 395 395 |
| AMREF Flying Doctors (air ambulance / evacuation) |
+254 20 699 2299 |
Note: 999/112/911 route to the National Police. Public ambulance coverage is limited outside Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Eldoret; in most areas the Kenya Red Cross line 1199 is the most reliable path to an ambulance.
2. National disaster management
| Element |
In Kenya |
| National coordination centre |
NDOC (National Disaster Operations Centre) — Ministry of Interior, Nyayo House, Nairobi; 24/7 reporting and coordination — ndoc.go.ke |
| Response doctrine |
National Disaster Risk Management Strategy (Ministry of Interior); Incident Command System (ICS) adopted for major incidents |
| Rapid-response unit |
NDMU (National Disaster Management Unit) — inter-agency unit led by the National Police Service (rescue, response) — disastermanagement.go.ke |
| Drought authority |
NDMA (National Drought Management Authority) — coordinates drought risk management and runs the Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) in the 23 ASAL counties — ndma.go.ke |
| Territorial crisis authority |
County governments and County Commissioners; national government requests external/international support through NDOC |
3. Alert systems
| System |
What it is |
Access |
| Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) |
Sole WMO-recognised authority for severe-weather and extreme-climate warnings (heavy rain, floods, strong winds) — per-county forecasts |
meteo.go.ke |
| NDMA Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) |
Monthly early-warning bulletins by county (rainfall, vegetation, food security) for the ASAL regions |
ndma.go.ke |
| NDOC alerts |
National disaster situation updates and coordination notices |
ndoc.go.ke |
| Kenya Red Cross alerts |
Flood/rain safety advisories and mobilisation notices |
redcross.or.ke |
| Radio & mobile (SMS) advisories |
KMD/county advisories relayed via radio, TV and telco SMS |
Automatic / broadcast |
4. Key non-Rotary actors
| Actor |
Role in disaster |
| Kenya Red Cross Society |
Lead humanitarian responder: ambulances (1199), search & rescue, shelter, relief, family reunification |
| NDMU (police) |
Rescue and immediate response to incidents |
| County government / County Commissioner |
Local coordination, evacuation, shelter sites |
| St John Ambulance Kenya |
Ambulance service and first-aid training |
| AMREF Flying Doctors |
Medical air evacuation |
| UN agencies & NGOs (WFP, UNICEF, OCHA, IFRC) |
Large-scale drought/flood response and coordination |
5. Dominant risks → guide cards
| Risk |
Where |
Card to print |
| Drought |
Northern & eastern ASAL counties (Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Isiolo, Tana River) |
Dedicated card in preparation — see roadmap |
| Flood / flash flood |
Tana River basin, Budalangi/Nyando, Nairobi, coast; long-rains (March-May) & short-rains (Oct-Dec) |
Card B2 |
| Disease outbreak (cholera) |
Flood-affected & ASAL counties (Tana River, Turkana, Isiolo, Garissa, Nairobi) |
Dedicated card in preparation — see roadmap |
| Landslide |
Highlands — Aberdare Range, Mount Kenya, Rift Valley escarpments, western highlands |
Card A4 |
| Fire (urban / informal settlements) |
Nairobi, Mombasa and other cities; dry-season bush fires |
Card C2 |
| Heat / prolonged dry spells |
Arid and semi-arid lowlands |
Card B4 |
6. Equivalences with the guide's terms
| Generic term in the guide |
Kenyan equivalent |
| National disaster management agency |
NDOC (coordination) + NDMU (response) + NDMA (drought) |
| National response plan |
National Disaster Risk Management Strategy / ICS |
| Emergency medical service (EMS) |
Ambulance via 999 or Kenya Red Cross 1199 |
| Territorial state authority |
County government / County Commissioner |
| Mass casualty protocol (MCI) |
ICS-based incident command (NDMU / Kenya Red Cross) |
| National meteorological warning service |
Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) |
| Lead humanitarian responder |
Kenya Red Cross Society |
Donation tax rules: donations to an organisation holding a valid KRA income-tax exemption certificate (a registered charitable organisation under the Income Tax (Charitable Organisations and Donations Exemption) Rules, 2024) may be tax-deductible, subject to conditions and to obtaining a receipt. A Rotary club is not automatically exempt — verify your club's or club foundation's KRA exemption status before advertising donations as deductible.
7. Rotary section — to be completed by your club
| Element |
Your information |
| Rotary district |
____ |
| District Governor (DG) |
____ |
| District disaster officer (DRO/DRC) |
____ |
| ShelterBox contact |
____ |
| County disaster / Red Cross branch contact |
____ |
| Neighbouring clubs (< 50 km) |
____ |
| Last update of this section |
//______ |
Sources: NDOC (ndoc.go.ke), National Disaster Management Unit (disastermanagement.go.ke), NDMA (ndma.go.ke), Kenya Meteorological Department (meteo.go.ke), Kenya Red Cross Society (redcross.or.ke, toll-free 1199), Global Rescue Africa emergency-numbers guide. Report any error: g.bourgogne.rtn@gmail.com