The ongoing flooding in Kenya shows the need for the government to invest more in flood prevention mechanisms ahead of rainy seasons with the right response plan in place.

Development Diaries reports that more than 60 people have lost their lives and over 40,000 have been forced from their homes due to the rain and flooding, according to official statistics.

While the country’s Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kithure Kindiki, has directed the National Police Service (NPS) to initiate extensive search and rescue operations nationwide, there are concerns over the country’s preparedness for such a crisis given the recent history of floods.

The government appears not to have learnt the lessons from the severe flooding that affected more than 85,000 households in 2023, as preventive measures against flooding seem ineffective or nonexistent.

Assurances have been given by the government regarding the allocation of necessary financial and public resources to mitigate the adverse impacts of flooding, but the people of Kenya would rather settle for action than words.

Development Diaries calls on Kenya’s National Disaster Operations Centre to intensify its efforts to reach affected people and provide them with urgent relief.

We also urge the Kenyan government to ensure flood prevention mechanisms are put in place.

Source: Capital FM

Photo source: Al Jazeera