This archive report was first published on 23 November 2019.
On November 23, 2019, a devastating landslide in West Pokot County claimed the lives of over 20 people, leaving a trail of destruction and despair in its wake.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of disaster preparedness and mitigation measures in preventing such tragedies.
Heavy rains, which were expected to bring relief after a prolonged drought, turned into a deluge of pain and agony for the people of West Pokot.
Natural calamities often take people by surprise, and the consequences can be devastating. To mitigate this, there is a need to build a national capacity to deal with such eventualities.
Unfortunately, the state of disaster preparedness in Kenya has been wanting, leaving the country ill-equipped to respond to such disasters.
It is commendable that the Kenya Red Cross Society and local rescuers have been active on the ground, but their work could be eased if key disaster risk management institutions redoubled their efforts.
Our disaster management strategy has largely remained reactive, with a tendency to rush to the scene after the disaster has occurred and mount a rescue operation. While lives must be saved, it would have been better had appropriate mitigation and preparedness measures been put in place to avert the crisis and prevent deaths.
