Kenya Launches Landmark Climate Training Curriculum to Help Businesses Harness Weather Data for Smarter Decisions

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Kenya has taken a major step toward strengthening climate resilience and improving business preparedness with the launch of a groundbreaking training curriculum aimed at helping private sector players better understand and use weather and climate information in decision-making.

The curriculum, unveiled on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, by the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority through its Institute for Meteorological Training and Research (IMTR), seeks to equip businesses and institutions with practical skills to interpret, apply, and disseminate weather and climate forecasts in a rapidly changing environment.

IMTR, recognized by the World Meteorological Organization as the Africa Regional Training Centre for English-speaking countries, developed the curriculum jointly with KMSA and with support from Mercy Corps AgriFin Project, Kenya National Qualifications Authority and the Technical and Vocational Training Authority.

The initiative is designed to help private sector stakeholders operating in climate-sensitive sectors make informed decisions using weather and climate data, especially at a time when Kenya continues to face unpredictable rainfall, prolonged droughts, floods, pest outbreaks, and changing planting seasons.

Speaking during the launch, Bernard Chanzu described the curriculum as a transformative step toward deeper collaboration between public institutions and businesses in climate services delivery.

He emphasized that the initiative goes beyond simply increasing access to climate data and instead focuses on strengthening leadership and institutional capacity to turn information into meaningful action, noting that the private sector has a critical role in translating climate information into real-world impact.

Acting Director General of KMSA, Edward Maina Muriuki, said the curriculum will promote preparedness and resilience by helping businesses better understand climate risks, reduce losses, protect investments, maintain operational continuity, and identify emerging economic opportunities.

The training program targets professionals from five key sectors — agriculture, energy, finance, insurance, and ICT — industries considered central to generating, interpreting, and applying climate information to strengthen resilience and improve decision-making.

At the event, Sieka Gatabaki underscored the importance of public-private partnerships in expanding access to climate services, especially for smallholder farmers. He noted that Mercy Corps AgriFin’s weather and climate services programs have played an important role in testing and scaling digital climate solutions that improve productivity and resilience in the face of climate change.

Gatabaki further expressed optimism that the curriculum could eventually be scaled beyond Kenya and adopted across Africa to support broader climate resilience efforts while improving last-mile delivery of weather information to farming communities.

The launch ceremony was presided over by Ishaam Abader, who highlighted the importance of stronger cooperation between governments and the private sector in climate service delivery. He noted that WMO has developed public-private engagement guidelines to improve the production and accessibility of weather and climate information globally.

The curriculum incorporates international and national best practices, including KMSA forecasting tools, WMO guidance, and quality standards from national accreditation bodies. It also integrates insights from regional climate outlook forums, satellite data systems, research institutions, agritech innovators, and development partners.

More than 70 participants attended the launch, including government agencies, climate investors, innovators, development organizations, and agri-food entrepreneurs, reflecting growing recognition of climate information as a critical tool for improving productivity, resilience, and long-term planning.

The initiative is expected to strengthen Kenya’s climate services ecosystem by improving collaboration between government institutions, private sector actors, and researchers while helping transform weather forecasts into localized, practical, and farmer-centered advisories that support informed decisions and sustainable economic growth.

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