The West Pokot Governor, Prof John Lonyangapuo, has been an active face amid the raging landslide and flooding ravaging his county, killing and displacing people.
Unfortunately, the national government’s presence on the ground has been thin, worsened by cut-off roads, bad infrastructure and poor visibility that has kept rescue helicopters away from the ground.
But then, our military is not limited to the sky. We have ground forces that form the majority of our armed forces.
These include mechanised battalions that are trained to circumvent all transport shortcomings like poor roads and swept-off bridges fast.
Hundreds of people in West Pokot who have lost homesteads and loved ones are yet to be reached due to cut-off roads.
Our military can easily put up pontoons where bridges have been swept away by floods and have vehicles deliver aid to the victims of the natural disaster.
That can only happen if our troops are given the order. But the government is yet to deploy them to open the roads and rescue the marooned civilians.
In other countries, flags would be flying at half-mast in honour of the more than 50 dead.
The government could have used this tragedy to cleanse itself of a common narrative, that “Pokot is not in Kenya” — a reference to how neglected it is, and starved of resources — by being visible in the rescue effort.
The manner in which the lethal landslide menace in West Pokot County is being handled by the government is not encouraging.
When some people lost their lives in the Westgate Mall terrorist attack, whose death toll was almost equal to West Pokot’s, it was declared a national disaster and the entire government focused on the matter.
This begs the question: Are the people of West Pokot lesser human beings? Are there Kenyans who are more special than others?
The entire county is in mourning. Some families have no food, shelter and clothing. Others are still missing.
To make matters worse, on Monday, those charged with the humanitarian issues — including Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and his team — suspended their tour of the affected areas on the flimsy excuse of bad weather.
On the same day, however, Deputy President William Ruto, among others, visited the county to console the families.
The people of West Pokot have a right to be assisted like the rest of Kenyans when Nature, as in the case of the landslides caused by heavy rains pounding the country, causes mayhem.
The way the government is handling the disaster is wanting and leaves a lot to be desired.
When I read the sad stories about those who died and the poor survivors of the West Pokot landslide disaster, my immediate reaction was to want to help.
Were it in my country, the United Kingdom, there would have been an immediate response and a fund set up for donations.
But alas! This is Kenya, where monies donated may never arrive to where it was destined for!
It breaks my heart feeling so helpless.
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