Influence of disaster response awareness on disaster response planning in institutions of higher learning in Nakuru county, Kenya.

Abstract

Disasters in institutions of higher learning remain common and include fires, collapse of buildings, diseases or epidemics and terrorism attacks.  The main objective of this study was to establish the influence of disaster response awareness on disaster response planning in institutions of higher learning in Kenya, with particular focus on Nakuru County. The target population were the members of staff and students from twenty institutions of higher learning in the county, which included universities and colleges. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select the respondents. Ethical considerations were undertaken throughout the study, and data was collected through the use of questionnaires with both closed and open-ended questions, in addition to interviews. The data was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 24. The study concluded that there is high level of disaster response awareness in institutions of higher learning within Nakuru County. The effect of disaster response awareness on disaster response planning showed existence of a significant correlation of (r = 0.781, p < 0.05). Pearson’s correlations coefficient was higher than 0.5, suggesting a strong relationship between the two variables. The study thus recommends increased undertaking of disaster preparedness efforts to address potential calamities, development of broadly applicable preparedness metrics, and ensuring adherence to policies laid down by Ministry of Education. It is also necessary to engage multiple stakeholder groups in formulating metrics that are considered appropriate.