Disasters: Government Must be Proactive

Published on 17th September 2011

Tragedies and disasters such as fire outbreaks, road carnages and illicit brews are claiming the lives of many Kenyans yet no long lasting action is being taken by the government to protect its people. No public official has been fired or accepted responsibility for the tragedies.

After a fuel ignited inferno that razed houses and scorched  human lives leaving hundreds others wounded, it was sad watching the Managing Director of the Kenya Pipeline Company deny responsibility. Listening to Selest Kilinda during the media interview, it was very clear that the Kenya Pipeline Company detected the leakage early enough before the explosion took place and yet it did not inform the police and the people of the impending danger. The number of casualties would have been reduced if his company had acted promptly and swiftly by alerting the police and the public on the impending danger. Instead the company took care of its own interest but abandoned the people exposing them to the danger.

A few days after the fire tragedy, the government has stopped helping the affected people rescue survivors or search for their lost families and relatives. In a responsible and accountable leadership, both top officials at KPC and the Ministry of Energy including the Minister should have resigned immediately for killing innocent Kenyans and for failing to control and manage the company efficiently and effectively. One wonders what would have happened if such a tragedy would have happened in parliament or in other posh residential areas such as Karen, Muthaiga or Runda.

It is pretence of the highest order for top government officials including the president, Prime Minister and the Vice president to appear at disaster scenes simply for window dressing purposes. Every time a tragedy occurs in the country, leaders and other top government officials rush to the scene to be seen and yet do not take actions and other stern measures to stop such from happening.

Sometimes back, Kenya’s First lady, Lucy Kibaki, castigated professor George Saitoti for failing to protect Kenyans' lives as the Minister for Internal security. Instead of shedding crocodile tears, the government should put in place mechanisms of controlling such disasters from happening. Illicit brews, living along railway lines and below high voltage electricity cables are known public hazards. The government must protect its people from impending danger even if it means genuine forceful evictions.

It is an open secret that the illicit brewing companies that have led to the deaths of people in Nyahururu, Ruiru and Kiambu are licenced by the government and are operating and conducting their business openly. Where are the Kenya Bureau of Standards and Provincial Administration to avert this?  Instead of conducting investigations on such companies before  disasters happen, the police wait for deaths to occur or to be informed by the media to act.

Other disasters waiting to happen include the Likoni Ferry in Mombassa and the Nairobi Commutter train. The ever stalling Likoni ferry like the railway line passing through slum areas of Kibera, Mkuru kwa Njenga and others should be looked into urgently to avoid impending disasters. Road carnage and banditry attacks also require prompt attention to protect of lives Kenyans.Will the government listen?

By Denise Kodhe,
Executive Director,
The Institute for Democracy, Leadership & Empowerment in Africa (IDEA) Nairobi, Kenya.


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