Ethnicity now ranked as a national disaster

By Edwin Cheserek

ELDORET, KENYA: The Government has said it is addressing emerging threats and disasters that include terrorism and ethnicity.

National Disaster Operations Centre official Jason Nyandege said a number of hazards have achieved disaster classification.

He cited terrorism, fires, ethnic tensions, road carnage, famine and drought as some of the disasters that are of public concern. Speaking during a three-day National Symposium on Disaster and Risk Reduction in Eldoret, Mr Nyandege said the Government has mapped all areas that are prone to disasters. He disclosed the Government has come up with emergency early warning systems to detect and forestall disasters.

“We have set up national emergencies to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disasters as well as deal with environmental hazards that trigger them,” he noted. Nyandege said information on early detection of threats would be disseminated to stakeholders for appropriate action.

“We all have a responsibility as individuals or institutions to influence decisions and action to ensure disaster risks are reduced drastically,” he added. Though he admitted that the country has been hit by serious calamities recently, he underscored the importance of disaster management preparedness.

Peaceful elections

With Parliament having passed the Disaster Risk Management Policy into law, he said the strategy was at an advanced phase and would soon be operational. At the same time, he said every county would get a Disaster Management Fund that would be managed by a committee.

“The national government will only come in if county governments are overwhelmed by disasters,” he said. The Government, he added, has beefed up security around the country to ensure peaceful elections are conducted next month. The forum, which was funded by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), brought together various stakeholders in disaster management sector. Ms Beatrice Teya from UNDP  said the organisation supports the government through capacity building.