Keriako Tobiko, Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Environment.
Good morning Nyakundi,
I am a former employee of the RANET Program under meteorology in the Ministry of environment.
RANET was a program under the state department of Meteorology which was started by the late minister John Michuki in 2007 and disbanded in July 2019.
RANET Program was meant to disseminate crucial weather information to communities living in weather hazard areas. A RANET Station composed of a weather station and a community radio station. It was a partnership between the communities and the Meteorological department of Kenya.
Weather observation used to be done at the station then sent to Meteorological department for analysis and advisory. The analysis and advisory to mitigate against natural disasters used to be disseminated through RANET Radio stations.
There were six such RANET Stations in Kenya, Kangema (Muranga), Bundalangi (Western) Kwale(Coast), Nganyi (Vihiga), Garbatulla (Isiolo) and Suswa (Narok). As you can see the stations are in areas where communities are affected by extreme weather occurrences.
Keriako Tobiko’s tenure as the cabinet secretary (CS) in the Ministry of Environment, has seen him have a passionate dislike for Meteorological department and the personnel that leads the department. He has harrassed the department and refused to fund running projects which are crucial. A good example is the disbandment of RANET this year, which saw 86 Kenyans loose their jobs which were collapsible casual contracts.
In reference to the title of my email to you is the Hells Gate tragedy in Naivasha. Since the previous and the last tragedy the involved PCEA Members in 2012 we have not heard another. The reason being the RANET Suswa which sought to give this crucial weather information to these area of Narok/ Naivasha was no more this financial year.
The guides and the personnel at Hells gate Naivasha relied on this crucial weather information disseminate through Suswa RANET which is no more.
We blame this tragedy solely to Keriako Tobiko who crushed the RANET program this financial year for no satisfactory reason not to approve Kenya Meteorological department budget to run this program. The tragedy is as a result of negligence and bureaucracy exhibited by him.
Please expose Keriako Tobiko’s neglect on meteorology department and hide my identity.