Boost capacity to curb deaths

The deaths of more than 20 people in landslides in West Pokot County are a national tragedy. By yesterday, the death toll had climbed to 24, and it was feared that the ongoing search and rescue operation could recover more bodies under the soil that has given way following heavy rains.

This incident is the continuation of the cycle of pain and suffering that continues to grip this remote area. It is a pity that rain, which was expected to bring some respite after a prolonged drought in which livestock perished and the people were ravaged by hunger and starvation, has turned into a deluge of pain and agony.

Natural calamities often take the people by surprise, and the consequences are devastating. There is, therefore, a need to build a national capacity to deal with such eventualities. Sadly, the state of disaster preparedness has been wanting. Nature, in an apparent conspiracy against the people, has unleashed a destructive force, cutting off roads and sweeping away bridges. This makes it much harder to reach the affected areas to rescue victims and deliver relief supplies.

It is commendable that the Kenya Red Cross Society and local rescuers have been active on the ground. However, their work could be eased if the key disaster risk management institutions, including the National Drought Management Authority and the National Disaster Operation Centre, could redouble their efforts. The Directorate of Special Programmes in the Ministry of Devolution and Planning and the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government can also do better. There is no good reason, for instance, why surveys are not regularly carried out and vulnerable areas identified and precautions taken. These could include moving the population from landslide-prone areas.

Our disaster management strategy has largely remained reactive. The tendency, as is also evident in the West Pokot landslides, is to rush to the scene after the disaster has occurred and mount a rescue operation. That is okay. Lives must be saved. But it would have been better had appropriate mitigation and preparedness measures been put in place to avert the crisis and prevent deaths.