How Kenya’s emergency response unit should be set up, funded

I watched the coverage of the earthquake calamity in Nepal and noted how helpless and fragile a nation can be in the face of such a disaster.

Without international assistance, Nepal could not have mustered sufficient resources to effectively respond. However, each nation needs to have in place some institutional preparedness for initial rapid response and systems to mobilise follow-up.

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis are “acts of God” and are mostly unpredictable in location, timing and magnitude.

Other “lesser” nature-caused disasters include hurricanes, floods, severe droughts and famines which have a habit of recurring in the same locations.

This category of disasters has usually been associated with the impacts of global warming. These can, to some extent, be predicted and basic response prepared.

Others are attributable to human negligence (errors of omission or commission) and which can be prevented or minimised if due care and compliance are emphasised. These preventable incidents include fires, collapsing buildings, transport-related incidents, and also disease epidemics.

Finally, we have incidents which are associated with human “ill-intention”. These include terrorist incidents which can either involve real-time shooting (Garissa, Westgate, for example) or sabotage such as the 1998 US Embassy bombing.

This group of emergencies also includes civil unrest and ethnic skirmishes which have socio-political origins and can be prevented through political engagements.

The list above is what can go wrong in Kenya. It is such an analysis of potential disasters that should inform preparation of a national disaster preparedness plan.

I am not sure we have such a plan in place, and if one exists then it is neither well publicised nor effectively implemented.

From observations, Kenya is frequently caught unawares by disasters and, for this reason, misses many opportunities to minimise loss of life and property.

Repeat disasters have happened at the same or different locations, mostly because of failing to learn from experience.

One can bet that the recent floods in Nairobi and Narok will repeat themselves in the same location and with similar destructive impact. This will be the case unless corrective actions are taken.

A typical national emergency preparedness plan identifies potential disasters and puts in place institutions, systems and resources to either prevent such disasters or reduce their destructive impact. An effective plan should always be ready.

The nature and location of readiness should be as varied as there are different potential disasters.

To implement a disaster preparedness plan, the country needs a legally established disaster management institution that is sufficiently funded and resourced.

It should be an authority sufficiently empowered by an anchor law to marshal and co-ordinate national response and recovery resources.

In Kenya, the Red Cross is currently the visible face of national emergency response. It is an organisation that has done a highly commendable and professional job in nearly all the past disasters.

However, this is indeed a default situation in the absence of an effective apex national emergency response institution.

It is a national institution that should be coordinating support efforts and resources among various emergency relief and support agencies like the Red Cross, the National Youth Service, disciplined forces, private sector and even foreign disaster responders.

A national disaster response institution should have a visible central command and communications structure. It should have sufficient budgetary allocation direct from the exchequer. It should not have to rely on discretionary and insufficient allocation of funds from ministries.

Further, the primary objective of a national emergency institution should be to proactively eliminate or minimise situations that could result in disasters.

This can be achieved by co-ordinating various stakeholder efforts (including private sector) to first and foremost plan to prevent occurrence of disasters.

Subsidiary emergency plans by counties and various economic sectors should all effectively link to the national disaster management plan through the apex national emergency institution.

New-look NYS

The national disaster management institution can enhance accountability and oversight of emergency funds and goods which are not always properly accounted for.

If accountability and transparency cannot be demonstrated, private sector and foreign assistance for emergencies shall always be limited.

We now have a new look National Youth Service which has demonstrated superb performance in various emergency situations. Let us go the next step and create multi-tasked disaster response crack units within NYS to provide disaster response readiness at all time.

Such units should of course be answerable to the apex authority.

With effective emergency preparedness institutions and systems, we shall feel more assured that the frequency of disasters shall be reduced, and when they occur impact on human lives and property is minimised.

Mr Wachira is the director Petroleum Focus Consultants. [email protected]