A majority of businesses in Kenya have been affected directly or indirectly by manmade disasters including complex emergencies, which include post-election violence, inter-communal conflicts, terrorism, fires, floods, displacements and drought. Such disasters have led to loss of business assets, destruction of business premises, business closure and reduction in sales leading to economic and environmental impacts - and sometimes loss of human lives. This all negatively impacts economic growth.
The landscape assessment details the findings on business preparedness and resilience to operate in manmade disaster settings, including the complex emergencies context in Kenya. It focuses on preparedness before disasters, response during disasters and recovery measures taken. Preparedness was assessed in terms of contingency and risk management measures businesses put in place before disasters. The assessment sought to find out about private sector involvement in disaster response and whether they engage and collaborate with humanitarian actors. Finally, the report examines the existing support structures that facilitate recovery after disasters and emergencies. The findings of this report are drawn from a literature review and in-depth interviews with private sector business owners and focal points of large enterprises in Kenya.
The landscape assessment report aims to inform companies on the existing gaps and opportunities for private sector and humanitarian actors to engage in collective action in order to create a resilient business environment before, during and after manmade disasters including complex emergencies in Kenya.