JKUAT, Humanitarian Partners Strengthen Emergency Preparedness
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), in partnership with the CALP Network, Kenya Cash Working Group (KCWG) and the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Humanitarian Network, is conducting a Market Assessment Tools Training (MATT) for humanitarian practitioners as part of ongoing preparedness efforts ahead of the forecast El Niño rains. The five-day training,…
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), in partnership with the CALP Network, Kenya Cash Working Group (KCWG) and the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Humanitarian Network, is conducting a Market Assessment Tools Training (MATT) for humanitarian practitioners as part of ongoing preparedness efforts ahead of the forecast El Niño rains.
The five-day training, which commenced on Monday, September 21, 2026, at the Royal Canaan Nairobi Hotel, brings together humanitarian practitioners from organizations involved in disaster preparedness, emergency response and Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) programming.
Participants include representatives from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), Plan International Kenya, Caritas Kenya, Rural agency for community development and assistance (RACIDA), Pastoralist Community Initiative and Development Assistance (PACIDA), ASAL Humanitarian Network, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), Indigenous Resource Management Organization (IREMO), Strategies for Northern Development (SND), and Marsabit Women Advocacy and Development Organization (MWADO).
The training seeks to strengthen participants’ practical capacity to conduct effective market assessments and generate reliable market information to support humanitarian decision-making. It focuses on understanding how markets function before, during and after emergencies, and how market information can guide appropriate humanitarian responses.
Speaking during the official opening on behalf of the Director, JKUAT CBD Campus, Dr. Paul Kariuki, Associate Chairperson, Department of Entrepreneurship and Procurement, CBD Campus, emphasized the importance of strengthening preparedness before disasters occur rather than waiting until communities are already experiencing the effects of an emergency. He noted that academic institutions have a moral duty to contribute their expertise to matters of public concern, including disaster management.
The course lead facilitator, Dr. Peter Wanjohi, noted that effective preparedness requires humanitarian actors to understand the markets on which communities depend and to have the capacity to rapidly assess how those markets are likely to respond to shocks.
The MATT course equips practitioners with practical tools for analyzing markets and examining critical factors such as market functionality, supply and demand, prices, trader capacity, infrastructure, financial services, risks and barriers to access.
A key component of the training is an embedded field school, during which participants will visit two markets wakulima Market in Nairobi and Machakos Town Main Market, to collect real-time data and apply market assessment tools in analyzing market performance.
The practical component is particularly relevant to Cash and Voucher Assistance, where understanding market conditions is critical in determining whether cash-based interventions are feasible, appropriate and likely to achieve their intended outcomes.
As Kenya prepares for the possibility of El Niño-related weather impacts, the ability of humanitarian organizations to rapidly assess markets will be essential. Disruptions to roads, agricultural production, supply chains, retail outlets, financial services and household purchasing power can affect the availability and affordability of essential goods and services, with implications for emergency assistance.
Market assessments enable humanitarian actors to move beyond assumptions about community needs by examining the actual availability of goods and services, market capacity and the ability of local systems to respond to increased demand.
For organizations working in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands, such information is particularly important given the challenges communities may face in accessing essential commodities and financial services, as well as the effects of distance, infrastructure and mobility constraints during emergencies.
The collaboration between JKUAT, the CALP Network, KCWG and the ASAL Humanitarian Network demonstrates the value of partnerships in strengthening locally relevant capacity for humanitarian preparedness. The training also provides practitioners from different organizations with an opportunity to develop a common understanding of market assessment methodologies while sharing experiences from their respective operational contexts.
The programme further contributes to anticipatory and emergency preparedness by equipping humanitarian actors with practical tools to assess market conditions and inform timely, appropriate responses when communities are affected by shocks.
The training continues throughout the week at the Royal Canaan Nairobi Hotel, combining classroom learning with practical exercises designed to simulate real-world market assessment and humanitarian programming scenarios.
Participants having discussion at the workshop.