KWS critcised for poor safety measures at Hell's Gate

 The Kenya Wildlife Service has been told to rename Hell's Gate National Park urgently address safety concerns following the death of seven people on Sunday.

Community leaders and environmentalists on Tuesday said the deaths could have been avoided if safety measures and early warning signs were in place.

KWS on Tuesday closed down the gorge attributing the move to the ongoing rains pounding Naivasha and its environs.

Six family members and their guide were swept away by the flash floods in the Sunday tragedy. Their bodies were recovered on Monday 30kms from the scene of the accident.

Chairman of Friends of Lake Naivasha Francis Muthui said safety issues had been forgotten. He said guides should be trained on weather patterns and early warning systems to avoid similar incidents in the future.

“This incident would have been avoided if the guides had read the weather pattern and KWS had put in place safety measures,” Muthui said.

Maasai elder Jackson Ole Shaa said environmental degradation around the park has contributed to the flooding.

“Kengen has embarked on major geothermal exploration leading to environmental degradation and frequent floodings,” Shaa said.

Central Rift assistant director for KWS Aggrey Maumo said the incident was unfortunate and that it caught officers and visitors by surprise.

He defended the park management, saying safety measures had been put in place and that the guides were frequently trained.

“The incident occurred after it rained in the nearby areas and this led to flash floods which ended up in the gorge leading to the unfortunate deaths,” Maumo said.

Kengen has in the past defended its decision to work in the park noting that it was conducting environmental impact assessment before any project begins.

edited by peter obuya