The African Executive condoles the families and friends of the victims of the Tanzania ferry and Kenya fire tragedies. It is sad that East Africa has lost over 300 people on tragedies that could have been avoided.

The tragedies which have happened before raise disturbing questions: Why did the ferry officers allegedly allow an overloaded ferry to sail?  Was it in good condition? Why is its owner anonymous? If fuel from the Kenya pipeline had allegedly been oozing for a long time, why wasn’t this leakage detected in the control room? Why does the fuel pipeline pass through residential quarters?

No! These tragedies must not be treated as ‘acts of God.’ The buck must stop somewhere. The human causative element in terms of law enforcement; planning and safety management among others must be identified, brought to book and face the full force of the law. Time has come for Africans to hold leadership in various departments to account.