NAIROBI, Kenya, May 26-Kenya has launched a landmark national training curriculum aimed at helping businesses better understand and use weather and climate information in decision-making.

📻 Breaking It Down

The new Training Curriculum on Weather and Climate Information Services for Private Sector Stakeholders was unveiled Tuesday by the Institute for Meteorological Training and Research (IMTR) and the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority (KMSA), with support from Mercy Corps AgriFin, the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA), and the Technical and Vocational Training Authority (TVETA).

The initiative comes as Kenya grapples with increasingly erratic weather patterns, including prolonged droughts, destructive floods, pest outbreaks, and unpredictable planting seasons that continue to disrupt agriculture, energy production, insurance, and financial systems.

Officials said the curriculum is designed to bridge a long-standing gap between climate science and business decision-making by equipping private sector players with practical skills to interpret and apply weather and climate forecasts in their operations.

📌 What You Need to Know

Speaking during the launch, Bernard Chanzu, Director of the Meteorological Training and Research Directorate, described the program as a major shift in climate services delivery, placing the private sector at the center of Kenya’s climate resilience agenda.

“This curriculum demonstrates that strengthening climate services is not only about improving access to climate data, but also about building the leadership and institutional capacity needed to transform information into meaningful action,” Chanzu said.

“It recognizes the private sector not as a passive recipient of climate information, but as a critical partner within the climate services ecosystem, helping ensure that weather and climate information reaches those it is intended to serve.”

The curriculum targets professionals in five climate-sensitive sectors;  agriculture, energy, finance, insurance, and ICT, which officials say are central to the generation, interpretation, and application of climate information.

KMSA Acting Director General Edward Maina Muriuki said the program would help businesses anticipate climate risks, reduce losses, and improve operational continuity.

“The curriculum promotes a culture of preparedness and resilience. Businesses that understand climate risks are better positioned to minimize losses, protect assets, ensure operational continuity and identify emerging opportunities within the economy,” Muriuki said.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya