The Solai dam tragedy that left 47 people dead could have been avoided, a report by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has revealed.
The report compiled after a week-long gathering of information in Solai has blamed laxity among government officers.
It indicates that the government and relevant authorities failed to act on the information given to by members of the public.
KHCR Executive Director George Kegoro while releasing the report in Nakuru town on Friday said that the commission learnt of ignorance among state officers who include NEMA and WARMA officers to act on early warning information given to them about impending danger.
“Should the officers have acted on the information and taken the necessary action the dam tragedy could have been avoided," he said.
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Kegoro said that there seems to exist a strong corporate relationship between the local administration and the Patel family- a situation he said could have driven the officers to fail to act on information given.
The report has however taken note of the quick response by the county government and the disaster response team upon receiving news of the tragedy.
The director singled out the quick coordination of multi-agencies which include Kenya Red Cross, the military, NYS and the national police service among others.
Among other discrepancies noted by the commission was the hurried move to conduct burial of those who perished during the tragedy.
It also noted that the state took control of the funeral programme with little involvement of affected families and loopholes in the payment of consolation cash to the victims and poor co-ordination of the search and rescue mission from day two of the tragedy.
The commission has recommended that all seven dams within Patel coffee farm be emptied to avert any danger.
It also recommended proper accountability of relief items supplied.
“We want prosecution of the Patel farm management and state officers found culpable and also carrying out of a thorough investigation by the Directorate of criminal investigations and a report to that effect compiled in two weeks time,” he said.
Among those interviewed by the commission include state officers, victims of the tragedy, human rights crusaders and journalists.
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