Lessons from Kenya dam burst

The recent collapse of a dam in Kenya leading to the death of more than forty people, with another forty people missing and rendering thousands of people homeless is a devastating episode for which all African countries including Nigeria should learn some useful lessons.  There had been weeks of heavy rain that led to flooding […]

The recent collapse of a dam in Kenya leading to the death of more than forty people, with another forty people missing and rendering thousands of people homeless is a devastating episode for which all African countries including Nigeria should learn some useful lessons. 

There had been weeks of heavy rain that led to flooding and mudslide all across East Africa prior to the dam burst, which occurred on the Patel coffee estates farm in the town of Solai, Nakuru county, 120 miles northwest of Nairobi.  It swept away hundreds of houses. Members of the Kenyan Defense Force were called in to take part in rescue work, amidst the ongoing downpour. 

Almost an entire village was swept away by silt and water from the burst dam, said Gideon Kibunja, the county police chief in charge of criminal investigations. However, what is significant about this disaster is the allegation that the private Patel dam is illegal, which if found to be true after investigation, only reiterates the sad way things are done in Africa, with disastrous consequences.

According to Elizabeth Luvonga, the spokesperson for the Water Resources Management Authority which supervises private dams, other reservoirs on Patel’s farm lacked the necessary documents and were illegal. Simon Chelugui, the Water and Sanitation Minister said the burst dam and others on the property did not meet regulations, and that the Water Resources Authority had been pursuing the owner to make them compliant. He ordered all the others to be drained as a precaution. 

The manager of the Patel coffee estates, Vinoj Kumar, however denied the accusation, saying   the incident was the result of a natural disaster. “All these dams were built about fifteen to twenty years ago, there is nothing illegal,” he said.

Therefore, we welcome the swift action of Kenyan Chief Prosecutor, Noodin Haji, for calling for immediate investigation. “I hereby direct that investigations be conducted and a file of the investigation report forwarded to the [Director of Public Prosecution’s] office in 14 days, for perusal and appropriate action,” Noodin Haji, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said in a statement. Hopefully the investigation is not just to appease the agitated public but those found wanting in cutting corners through omission or commission should be made to face the law for causing the death of the people and loss of houses.

Authorities around Africa often don’t value human life and take the deaths of multitudes in disasters as ‘normal,’ refusing or ignoring to interrogate the underlining cause. This has made many people to get away with murder, as they say, where in other climes they should be in jail. The authorities only react to disasters instead of preventing them in the first place. For instance, in this incident, the authorities in Kenya ordered the draining of other dams in the estates’ farm as a ‘precaution’ even though they accused the owner of not meeting regulations and had been at his neck for compliance.

So, it is high time we take a closer look at how we view things, particularly those that lead to loss of lives and property and behave appropriately. Those affected should be compensated including with the property losses. This disaster in Kenya should serve as a lesson to Nigerian authorities to really adhere to due process in conducting any project. After all, even roads that are constructed with substandard materials wash away no sooner than they were done, leading to avoidable accidents.

Nigeria is also known for building collapse where people are trapped and killed without much being heard of the culprits being punished. We offer our condolences to the families of those that lost their lives and the Kenyan government as well for this avoidable calamity.