Ongoing rains have proved us wrong on disaster response

Mathare residents wade through a flooded section following heavy rains on April 24, 2024. [Robert Tomno, Standard]  

The rains have come back to expose us all over again. It is obvious that we are never adequately prepared for disaster despite the heavy budgets that go to disaster departments.

The consequences are tens of deaths and hundreds of IDPs. While you cannot entirely blame the government for the tragedy that has befallen Kenyans over the past few days, it cannot escape its share of the blame.It was only last year that the government took a series of measures in preparation for the impending El Niño rains.

The El Nino rains may never have come, but in preparation, government officers should have become more aware of what it takes to manage heavy rains. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja planned to acquire boats and rafts, much to the annoyance of many who are now appreciating his foresight. If it were not for the Red Cross, we would be speaking of hundreds of deaths now, particularly in Nairobi and Machakos.

In previous times, when Kenyans faced disaster, the chemistry between the Red Cross and the national government was obvious. In the days of Abbas Gullet, everybody knew him. This was by virtue of the prominent space he was given to lead various humanitarian operations side by side with the government.

That said and done, the rains have also exposed our lack of manners and integrity as a people. Someone mentioned that the estates experiencing water management problems are recently built where developers cut corners - lots of them.

A good number of those estates and houses are in places where they ideally should not be. A good number of the old estates, like Buruburu, Komarock and Langata, did not experience much flooding, and if it did, it would only be as a result of clogged sewerage systems. There are also allegations that the waters that caused a disaster in Mathare were from a dam in Gachie. 

As a people, we also seem to dare nature a lot. Take the case of Sultan Hamud disaster. A driver dared nature and went down with tens of people aboard. There have been many such incidents before and result has been same. It is time local administrators took charge and prevented such disasters. Disaster points should be marked quickly, and some ground rules enforced.

This is the time the government stops everything and applies every resource to help and support Kenyans in dire distress. This is the time the government does not just speak but also attends to Kenyans.

The government must not just be heard but also be seen. A good number of victims are people who lost virtually everything, and they will need support to get their lives back on track.

The people who get endangered the most during floods are children, the elderly, the sick and people with disabilities. It is not good to see people send distress signals throughout the night without any help. 

Disaster preparedness means having a contingency plan that can be quickly activated. This means anticipating and rehearsing as many potential situations as possible.

-The writer is anchor at Radio Maisha