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Historical Perspective of Disasters in Kenya
Lessons LearnedJack Abebe
PhD Candidate
Masinde Muliro University
Outline
Historical data (1900 – 2005) Disaster type Casualties Response Mitigation Lessons learned Way forward
Historical data
Date Disaster Region (Kenya)
Casualties Response Remarks
1896 - 1900
- Famine
- Locust
- Rinderpest
Central and Eastern
25 – 75 % of pop. in some areas
- Uganda Railway construction
1913 - 1919
- Famine Coast and Eastern
- - - WW1
- Giriama
rebellion
1933 - 1934
- Great
famine
Coast and Central
50 % loss of livestock
- Forced
destocking
- Soil
conservation
Demo sites set up in Machakos and Baringo
Date Disaster Region (Kenya)
Casualties Response Remarks
1942 - 1944
Famine Countywide Approx. 200 people
- WW2
Military demand for food
1952 - 1955
-Drought
- Famine
Central Over 50% of the pop.
Concentration camps
Mau Mau rebellion
State of emergency declared
1960 - 1961
Heavy Floods
Rift Valley, Eastern, Nyanza
70 – 80 % loss of Maasai cattle
- Widespread crop failure
10m pounds spent on food relief
- rescue operations by air
Political campaigns
Date Disaster Region (Kenya)
Casualties Response Remarks
1965 Famine Countrywide 600,000 people
affected
US, WFP donation (yellow maize)
- Policy reform in agric. sector
Establishment of Kenya Freedom From Hunger Council
1973 - 1974
Drought Countrywide 150,000 people affected
-Food aid
- Livestock restocking
M/East war led to sharp rise in oil prices
1975 Floods Countrywide L. Victoria basin most affected
- - Damage of roads and property
Date Disaster Region (Kenya)
Casualties Response Remarks
1975 Terrorism -
bomb blast
Nairobi - OTC bus
27 Government investigation
Political instability
1977 Floods
Landslides
Rift Valley Damage to Maize and wheat crop
- -
1981 Terrorism – bomb blast
Nairobi -Norfolk hotel
5 International investigation
Linked to M/East crisis
1983 - 1984
Drought Countrywide Over 600,000 people affected
Over 50% loss of livestock
-International appeal for food relief
- setting up of strategic food reserve
President promotes
Soil con-servation and tree planting
Date Disaster Region (Kenya)
Casualties Response Remarks
1992 - 1993
Drought Countrywide -2.7 M people affected
- 70% of livestock lost
-food importation
-Int. appeal for food aid
-Setting up of the Dept. of Relief and Rehabilitation
Collapse of agricultural institutions blamed for food insecurity
1994 Ferry accident
Mombasa 270 dead Rescue operations by the Navy and Ports authority
Overloading and faulty engine blamed
Date Disaster Region (Kenya)
Casualties Response Remarks
1997 - 1998
Floods –
El Nino
Country-wide L.Victoria basin most affected
- 1.5 million people affected
- Damage to infrastructure and property
- Damage to crops
- relief supplies / air drops by GOK, UN, NGOs - Setting up El Nino Emergency Project and Disaster Coordination Office at OP
Outbreak of water borne diseases
1998 Terrorist attack – bomb blast
Nairobi –US embassy
214 dead 5,600 injured
Army involved in rescue operations –International support
Restrictions on border entry points
Date Disaster Region (Kenya)
Casualties Response Remarks
1999 - 2000
Drought Country-wide
4.4 million people affected
-livestock deaths and crop failure
-Relief supplies
- Setting up of emergency diesel power generators
-economy affected by power rationing
- Diversification of power generation National food security policy revisited
2001 HIV/Aids Country-wide
-Over 2 million affected (600 dying daily) - - Hospital bed occupancy about 50 %
-Donor support
-Setting up National Aids Control Council
-Research
HIV/Aids declared a national disaster by the President
-Labour force severely affected
Date Disaster Region (Kenya)
Casualties Response Remarks
2004 Landslides Nyeri district
5 dead Rescue by local communities
Landslides in Kenya not yet fully studied
2004 Food Poisoning (Alfatoxin)
Makueni, Machakos Kitui districts
82 dead hundreds hospitalized
-Medical supplies
-Food inspection
-Public awareness campaigns
-Food traders blamed for the poisoning
-WFP denies that it donated the food
2005 Alcohol poisoning
Machakos Over 50 dead scores blinded
Medication
Crackdown on illicit brew
Indication of poverty level
Source : CBS, WFP, CETRAD, National Disaster Management Agency
Lessons Learned
• Major disasters ?
• Emerging disasters ?
• Contributing factors ?
• Compounding factors ?
• Trends / Patterns ?
• Management capacity ?
Lessons Learned….Major disasters • Famine• Floods• Disease epidemics• Traffic accidents
Emerging disaster• Fires• Landslides• Invasive species• Terrorism• Food poisoning• Tsunami?
Contributing factors:
Climatic variability Population increase Land degradation Global warming?
Compounding factors: Political instability / Insecurity Poverty Communication network
Trends / Pattern• Increase in frequency
• Increase in magnitude and severity - increase in loss of life and vulnerable
population
- increase in loss of property and damage
to infrastructure
Disaster Management Capacity
Policy ( in process) Institutional framework (coordination) Undeveloped SDI (formative stage) Low budgetary support Breakdown of traditional institutions and
knowledge
* Lack of comprehensive preparedness
(EWS), response, mitigation, prevention)
* Reactive / emergency response
* Over dependence on external aid
Food Security Monitoring
Food Security Risk Assessment
Flood Risk Assessment
Challenges Policy formulation Institutional framework Development of SDI (R&D) Mainstreaming of Geo-info in DSS Capacity building Budgetary support Regional collaboration Conflict resolution
Opportunities Existing institutions / UniversitiesTrained manpowerAvailability of free data sources Public awareness Improved communication network (ICT) Regional organizations (EAC, IGAD,
SADC, AU, UN system etc) Relative political stability in the region Networking and linkages
Way Forward
Building on the existing capacity and opportunities
EndQuestions are Welcome
Thank You!