Institutional and policy networks in disaster management in the Horn of Africa: insights from Kenya 1

Abstract Disasters in the Horn of Africa have become more frequent and protracted due to climate change and the compounding factors that restrict resource access, leading to severe food insecurity and livelihood losses. While governmental, international, and regional partners have made significant progress in adopting disaster management policies and frameworks, challenges remain. Limited empirical attempts have been made to understand how diverse actors with differing goals and competing interests interact with one another and influence disaster management and development outcomes. Drawing on qualitative data collected over two years, this paper explores the diverse practices within and across disaster management in the region, using Kenya as a case study, and focusing in particular on drought as a national disaster. It investigates how multiple actors, networks, and other hidden dynamics shape disaster response outcomes. It establishes that various institutional barriers, rigid structures and mindsets, along with shifting priorities and insufficient resources, often result in fragmented drought responses, disjointed coordination, and siloed operations across multiple layers. This study highlights the importance of paying attention to these dynamics and recognising them as key grounds for improvement. It advocates for more introspection and new approaches to collaboration rather than new policy frameworks.