KMTC Launches New Emergency Response Training Programme Backed by UK to Strengthen Kenya’s Disaster Preparedness
The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) has unveiled a new nationwide eLearning programme aimed at transforming how emergency responders coordinate during disasters, accidents, and other major incidents by introducing a unified multi-agency response system.
The Kenya Multi-Agency Interoperability Awareness eLearning Programme was officially launched in Nairobi on Wednesday, July 1, through a partnership between the Ministry of Health (MoH), the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU), the British High Commission, and KMTC.
The initiative seeks to improve collaboration among emergency personnel by equipping healthcare workers, first responders, and other frontline agencies with common operational principles and practical skills that enable faster, more coordinated responses during emergencies.
Announcing the launch, KMTC said the programme is designed to eliminate gaps that often arise when multiple agencies respond to the same incident.
“The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH), the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU), and the British High Commission, has launched the Kenya Multi-Agency Interoperability Awareness eLearning Programme,” KMTC said in a statement.
The institution added that the course will strengthen emergency preparedness by ensuring responders across different sectors operate using a shared framework.
“Launched on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Nairobi, the programme aims to strengthen coordination and collaboration among emergency responders by equipping them with shared principles and practical skills for effective emergency preparedness and response,” KMTC stated.
The online training will be available to KMTC students as well as healthcare professionals and emergency personnel from across the medical sector, expanding access to standardized emergency response education nationwide.
A key feature of the programme is its adaptation of the United Kingdom’s internationally recognised Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP). Originally developed to improve coordination between Britain’s emergency services, the framework has been modified to reflect Kenya’s operational realities and disaster response needs.
According to KMTC, the programme builds on previous efforts to strengthen cooperation among police officers, ambulance services, healthcare providers, and disaster management agencies.
“Developed from the United Kingdom’s Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) and adapted to Kenya’s context, the eLearning programme builds on existing interoperability initiatives in policing, pre-hospital care, and multi-agency emergency preparedness,” KMTC said.
Although JESIP was initially introduced following security concerns and counter-terrorism preparedness in the UK, its principles have since been widely adopted to improve responses to road accidents, natural disasters, mass casualty incidents, public health emergencies, and humanitarian crises.
The latest programme also complements KMTC’s broader efforts to strengthen emergency medical services in Kenya. In recent years, the institution has expanded community-based emergency response training, including equipping boda boda riders with basic first aid skills so they can provide lifesaving assistance during the critical minutes before ambulances arrive.
The college already offers an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course through its digital learning platform, and officials say the new interoperability programme represents another step towards building a more resilient and better-coordinated national emergency response system.
The launch comes amid growing calls to improve Kenya’s disaster preparedness following an increase in road traffic accidents, flooding, fire outbreaks, and other large-scale emergencies that require seamless cooperation between multiple government agencies and healthcare providers.
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