Daniel Hirbo

Humanitarian Programme Manager and development practitioner with 7+ years of experience delivering emergency response, food security, livelihoods, and resilience programmes in fragile, conflict-affected, and drought-prone contexts. Founder and Managing Director of Endelea Impact Consultants Limited, a professional consultancy firm delivering innovative solutions in food security, enterprise development, and financial inclusion.

Executive

Director of Marsabit Resilience Community Initiative (MRCI), a registered CBO driving community-led resilience programming in Marsabit County's ASALs. Proven ability to manage multi-million-dollar budgets, supervise multidisciplinary teams, and coordinate with government bodies, UN agencies, and NGO partners. Skilled in Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), climate adaptation, programme strategy, grant management, and donor reporting.

Consistent track record of integrating gender, protection, and accountability across all programming.

Executive Director - Marsabit Resilience Community Initiative (MRCI) - Marsabit County, Kenya

(2026-01)

• Provide strategic leadership and overall governance oversight for MRCI, driving community-led resilience programming across Marsabit County's Arid and Semi-Arid Lands.
• Lead community-driven programming across five integrated thematic areas: Food Security & Livelihoods, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Environmental Conservation, Community Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and Youth Mentorship & Empowerment.
• Spearhead participatory community mobilisation, needs and context analysis, and evidence-based programme design targeting pastoralist, agro-pastoralist, and peri-urban communities in Marsabit County.
• Champion inclusive programming ensuring active participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and marginalised groups across all interventions.
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with Marsabit County Government, UN agencies (FAO, WFP, UNICEF), international NGOs, local CBOs, and donor agencies to expand programme reach and impact.
• Oversee community DRR programming including hazard and vulnerability assessments, early warning system development, contingency planning, and emergency preparedness across sub-counties.
• Coordinate climate-smart agriculture initiatives including permaculture design, agroforestry systems, drought-tolerant crop promotion, and farmer field school facilitation.
• Integrate MEAL systems to track programme outcomes, generate learning, and ensure accountability to communities and donors.

Managing Director - Endelea Impact Consultants Limited - Kenya

(2026-01)

• Provide strategic leadership, client engagement, and partnership development, overseeing the firm's overall organisational management and growth.
• Design and implement food security and livelihoods consultancy services including assessments, resilience programming, value chain development, market linkages, and household economic strengthening (HES).
• Deliver financial literacy and VSLA programming, including group formation, governance, training, and linkages to credit and financial services for individuals, women's groups, and MSMEs.
• Provide Business Development Services (BDS) encompassing business diagnostics, strategic planning, market research, investment readiness support, and MSME growth coaching.
• Offer end-to-end project management services including work plan development, budget oversight, stakeholder coordination, risk management, and donor compliance reporting.
• Lead youth mentorship and empowerment programmes including leadership training, career guidance, entrepreneurship development, and linkages to employment opportunities.
• Serve a diverse client base including NGOs, CBOs, international development agencies, government departments, private sector firms, cooperatives, and social enterprises.

Programme Manager – Livelihoods - Concern Worldwide - Kenya

(2023-08 - 2024-07)

• Led livelihoods and resilience programmes across four ASAL sub-counties, overseeing integrated delivery linking livelihoods, WASH, nutrition, and cash assistance.
• Managed a programme budget of approximately USD 2.5M, ensuring full donor compliance and on-time delivery of all planned activities.
• Mentored and built capacity of livelihoods officers, local partner NGOs, and county government staff, improving programme delivery efficiency by 30% through structured capacity-building.
• Produced 15+ high-quality donor reports and contributed to proposal development that secured USD 3M in new institutional funding.
• Represented Concern in county-level coordination and technical forums, leading joint planning and fostering partnerships.
• Coordinated emergency response planning and implementation with county stakeholders, delivering lifesaving cash, food, and WASH support to drought-affected individuals.
• Promoted integrated and intersectoral programming, linking livelihoods with WASH, Health & Nutrition, and cash transfers, resulting in a holistic response.

Emergency Response Coordinator - Food for the Hungry - Marsabit County, Kenya

(2023-06 - 2023-07)

• Coordinated drought, flood, and animal disease outbreak responses, reaching 2,000+ households across Marsabit County.
• Led anticipatory action and early warning–early action systems with NDMA and county authorities to trigger timely responses.
• Managed emergency programmes totalling USD 1 million, ensuring donor compliance and timely reporting.
• Led rapid needs assessments and analyses across 3 counties to inform response planning.
• Oversaw cash assistance, food security, and livestock protection interventions for 30,000+ households.
• Strengthened community-based DRR and preparedness in 60+ high-risk communities.
• Coordinated with county government, UN agencies, and NGOs to improve response coverage and effectiveness.

Consortium Emergency Response Focal Person / ABLI-G - Danish Refugee Council - Kenya

(2022-05 - 2022-11)

• Supervised and coordinated multipurpose cash grant distributions, reaching 1,800 vulnerable households.
• Led rapid needs and market assessments to inform programme design and cash transfer values, aligning with county Minimum Expenditure Basket.
• Co-organised county and sub-county Cash Working Group meetings, harmonising transfer values; developed cash SOPs and beneficiary selection criteria.
• Liaised with M&E teams to plan and conduct 3 Post-Distribution Monitoring surveys, generating evidence to strengthen accountability.
• Oversaw emergency livestock treatment and vaccination campaigns to protect the livelihoods of 10,000 pastoralist households during drought.
• Tracked and monitored emergency project budgets worth USD 2 million, ensuring accurate burn rates and donor compliance.

Economic Recovery Project Officer / Camp Manager - Danish Refugee Council - Dadaab, Kenya

(2020-07 - 2023-05)

• Expanded financial inclusion by establishing 120 VSLAs with USD 150,000 in savings, enabling unbanked individuals to access credit and financial literacy.
• Mentored and supported 200+ SMEs, facilitating business coaching and market linkages for sustainable growth.
• Facilitated access to finance, linking SMEs to credit institutions and unlocking USD 200,000 in affordable loans on favourable repayment terms.
• Set up the Dadaab One-Stop Shop platform with NRC, DRC, ITC, UNHCR, DRS, and INGOs to streamline refugee documentation, legal aid, and counselling services.
• Oversaw camp-level operations, ensuring effective coordination of humanitarian services, security management, and adherence to DRC and UNHCR standards.
• Promoted community engagement and accountability mechanisms, strengthening refugee leadership structures and feedback systems for improved service delivery.

Acting Team Leader – Livelihoods - Danish Refugee Council - Kenya

(2021-02 - 2021-06)

• Provided technical leadership for micro-enterprise development, vocational training, drylands agriculture, and youth empowerment programmes.
• Directed integrated programming combining economic recovery, protection, financial inclusion, and life skills, resulting in sustainable income opportunities for 4,000 households.
• Led participatory needs assessments and market analyses, designing context-specific livelihood solutions addressing systemic barriers to self-reliance and resilience.
• Managed and monitored programme budgets worth USD 3M, ensuring compliance, efficient resource allocation, and timely delivery of livelihood assets and inputs.
• Mentored and coached 15+ programme staff and assistants, strengthening internal technical capacity and improving quality and accountability of field implementation.

Livelihoods Field Officer - Concern Worldwide - Kenya

(2018-07 - 2020-06)

• Responded to drought emergencies through cash transfers and coordinated emergency livestock treatment and vaccination for 400,000+ animals.
• Trained 2,000+ households on nutrition-sensitive agriculture through kitchen gardens and organised village-level cooking demonstrations, improving household dietary diversity.
• Introduced livelihood diversification initiatives including poultry keeping, camel milk value addition, and breed improvement programmes in 30 villages, boosting resilience and incomes.
• Strengthened natural resource management by supporting development of by-laws for 50+ Environmental Management Committees in collaboration with county authorities.
• Conducted joint emergency responses with FAO and county government, including desert locust control and participatory disease surveillance in 30 villages.

Disaster Risk Reduction Field Officer - VSF Germany - Kenya

(2016-02 - 2016-12)

• Trained and mentored 20+ community user groups and local institutions on DRR, enabling them to design and implement community-driven risk preparedness and management plans.
• Coordinated drought emergency response including restocking, emergency livestock treatment, and pasture reseeding across 3 degraded villages.
• Established 15+ Drought Ambassador Clubs in schools, empowering youth as climate champions and building long-term resilience.
• Introduced and supported Village Community Banking schemes, providing savings, credit, and investment opportunities to strengthen financial resilience.
• Strengthened early warning systems by introducing school-based drought flags linked to IPC classifications.

MA - International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid - KALU Institute (2024-01 - 2026-12)

BSc - Environmental Science - Egerton University (2011-01 - 2015-12)