NAIROBI, Kenya — William Ruto has signed the Kenya Meteorology Bill, 2023, into law, establishing a new authority that will oversee weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and early warning systems across the country.
The new law creates the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority (KMSA), transforming the existing Kenya Meteorological Department into a Semi-Autonomous Government Agency (SAGA) tasked with regulating, coordinating, and delivering meteorological and climate services nationwide.
Officials said the reforms are intended to strengthen Kenya’s ability to monitor weather patterns, improve climate information systems, and enhance disaster preparedness.
The new authority will provide climate and weather data to support key sectors, including agriculture, aviation, water resource management, and disaster risk reduction.
According to the government, the legislation establishes a comprehensive legal framework to regulate meteorological services and coordinate their delivery across both national and county governments.
“The law also ensures that Kenya complies with international standards and obligations governing meteorological services,” State House said in a statement.
The reforms align Kenya with global standards under the World Meteorological Organization and the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, as well as frameworks under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.
The authority will serve as the principal technical adviser to government institutions on weather and climate matters.
Its mandate will include establishing and maintaining meteorological management systems for data collection, processing, analysis, forecasting, and archiving, as well as issuing weather advisories and warnings to support early warning systems.
Officials say the new structure will also help operationalise the National Framework for Climate Services and support the global Early Warnings for All Initiative.
The law introduces a new funding framework designed to strengthen the authority’s financial sustainability through parliamentary allocations, service fees, grants, partnerships, and other revenue streams.
In a significant change, the Act amends the Air Passenger Service Charge to include the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority as a statutory beneficiary alongside the Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, and the Tourism Promotion Fund.
The dedicated funding stream is expected to support aviation meteorology services, upgrade weather monitoring infrastructure, and improve climate data systems critical for flight safety and environmental planning.
Under the Act, the authority will also register weather stations used for meteorological data collection, coordinate research and development in meteorology, and oversee the dissemination of official forecasts and warnings.
The legislation further establishes a Meteorology Training and Research Directorate, which will succeed the Institute for Meteorological Training and Research.
The directorate will operate as a regional training centre accredited by the World Meteorological Organization, offering professional courses, diplomas, and certificates in meteorology, operational hydrology, and related sciences.
The law also empowers the authority to identify sites for meteorological observation stations and enter agreements with landowners for the installation of monitoring infrastructure.
In addition, it introduces intellectual property protections covering meteorological data, advisory services, and innovations generated by the authority.
Officials said the Act also outlines offences related to interference with meteorological infrastructure or services in a bid to safeguard the delivery of accurate weather and climate information.
