Kenya has been lucky this long rains season as there are no major floods, no devastating landslides so far. But this rare calm should not breed complacency.
A coalition of human rights organisations has rightly petitioned the United Nations to urge the Kenyan government to invest in disaster preparedness.
The government must listen and act. The coalition’s shadow report to the UN Universal Periodic Review exposes a painful truth: Kenya’s disaster response has long been reactive, disorganised, and insufficient.
Year after year, communities are left to fend for themselves as droughts dry up water sources and floods wash away homes. Vulnerable groups that include children, women, and the elderly bear the worst of these crises.
This is unacceptable. One strong point raised by the coalition is the absence of a comprehensive disaster management policy. Even with a National Disaster Management Unit in place, poor coordination, weak infrastructure, and underfunded systems continue to cost lives.
Last year alone, floods displaced over 278,000 people. In previous droughts, over 3 million Kenyans faced hunger. These are not isolated tragedies, they are the result of failed planning.
The government must use this moment of calm to invest in long-term resilience: build early warning systems, strengthen community response teams, and stockpile essential supplies. Climate-related disasters are now predictable, even if their timing is not.
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Quote of the day: “I believe that you’re here
on Earth for a short time, and while you’re
here, you shouldn’t forget it.” — American
actress Bea Arthur was born on May 13, 1922.
