The rains are once again wreaking havoc right across the country with nearly 10 people killed so far.
While rain is traditionally seen to be a blessing, the latest downpours have caused massive destruction with homes submerged and roads and bridges badly damaged. Thousands of livestock have died and crops swept away.
The irony is that the meteorological department had warned well in advance that this short rainy season would see torrents.
Thanks to its increasingly accurate forecasts, the department has warned that the heavy rains will persist until December.
So, nobody can say they were not warned about the fury from the skies unleashing untold suffering.
But the failure to take precautions exposes people’s helplessness against natural calamities that speaks volumes about the sorry state of disaster preparedness.
After waiting for so long for the rains to come, the people are unable to mitigate the consequences of the mighty destructive force of nature.
Reports from the north of the country have been heart-rending. Nearly 1,000 people have been displaced, with their homes and motor vehicles swept away by flash floods.
Heavy floods have cut off villages in Marsabit, Wajir and Mandera counties, and this comes after months of biting drought. The victims are also on the verge of starvation, as businesses count huge losses after floods cut off roads.
There is a need to build the capacity to avert the destruction or mitigate the effects of the flooding menace.
One is to enhance the means to tap and prevent the water from just flowing to waste. Building dams and boosting rain water harvesting are solutions that should be implemented.
Nothing exemplifies underdevelopment like having floods wreaking havoc today, and facing an acute water shortage the next season.
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