Successive governments since independence have failed to put in place effective disaster management and preparedness mechanism to counter and control disasters.
Instead the government has become more reactionary than pro-active. The recent fire incident at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport would have been averted if the airport management had put in place effective and efficient mechanism to control disasters like fire.
The government should not try to intimidate taxpayers from speculating about the cause of the fire. They have a right to know what caused the fire; why it was allowed to happen and the individuals responsible for the inferno which has cost the country millions of shillings.
The Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) as the custodian of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and other airports across the country must come out in the open and tell people why they have done and will do to guarantee the safety and security of travelers and other Kenyans working these airports.
The government through relevant Cabinet Secretaries should ensure that emergency and disaster management strategies and mechanisms are put in place ready to deal with any disaster that might arise.
Prevention is better than cure. The many commissions that are formed by the government to investigate disasters such as the Sachangwan, the Sinai etc are useless if their recommendations to have a disaster preparedness policy in place are ignored and not implemented.
In developed countries like China, UK, America, Germany, Japan etc. where operations are systemized governments cannot afford to risk the lives of their citizens by sitting around and waiting for disasters to happen before taking action.
Disasters are envisaged and preparations to counter such are developed and put in place just waiting for re-activation in case of danger. In developed countries, alternative disaster preparedness measures are already developed and put in place because they know the effects and consequences of systems failure.
Most of the survivors of tsunami disaster nearly two years ago in Japan were people who ran to the higher places immediately after the big earthquake happened in Kamaishi in Tohoku region of western Japan.
“The Tsunami incident was the biggest disaster to happen in Japan after a long time. It was devastating and the government of Japan cannot afford the effects and implications of such incidents when they occur so they are always preparing for disasters in case they occur” observed Toshimitsu Sawai head of foreign news service of Kyodo News, Japan. “You can imagine the situation in Tokyo if electricity or water supply fails for even one minute” he added
In early June I was in Budapest, Hungary to attend the Budapest- Africa Forum. While there, I witnessed disaster preparedness strategy the government had put in place to deal with the danger of the city being flooded as a result of heavy rains in Austria and Germany.
The entire police force, the fire brigade and the security agencies were mobilized and put on alert when the government noted the the river had swollen by an inch. All security forces including the fire brigade were assembled to discuss how to deal with the impending emergency. People living along the riverside were evacuated and roads closed as the situation was being monitored closely.
Kenya like other African governments should emulate developed and developing nations. They should be serious with their operations and not wait for disasters to happen so that they react in panic. African government should always be ready and be prepared with control mechanisms to counter any pitfall or disasters that are likely to happen.
Denise Kodhe, is the executive director of the Institute for Democracy and Leadership in Africa.