Historical Perspective of
Disasters in Kenya
Lessons Learned
P.K Kisoyan
Egerton University
Njoro, Kenya
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
Central
Over 50% of
the pop.
Concentrati
on camps
Mau Mau
rebellion
State of
emergency
declared
Rift Valley,
Eastern,
Nyanza
70 – 80 % loss
of Maasai cattle
- Widespread
crop failure
10m pounds Political
spent on
campaigns
food relief
- rescue
operations
by air
- Famine
1960 1961
Heavy
Floods
Date Disaster
Region
(Kenya)
Casualties
1965
Famine
Countrywide
1973
1974
Drought
Countrywide
150,000
people
affected
1975
Floods
Countrywide
L. Victoria
basin most
affected
-
600,000
people
affected
Response Remarks
US, WFP
donation
(yellow
maize)
- Policy
reform in
agric.
sector
Establishm
ent of
Kenya
Freedom
From
Hunger
Council
-Food aid
- Livestock
restocking
M/East war
led to sharp
rise in oil
prices
-
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 – Nairobi bomb blast Norfolk hotel
5
International
investigation
Linked to
M/East
crisis
1983
1984
Drought
Over 600,000
people
affected
Over 50%
loss of
livestock
-International
appeal for
food relief
- setting up
of strategic
food reserve
President
promotes
Soil conservation
and tree
planting
Countrywide
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
Countrywide
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
Restriction
s on border
entry points
Date
Disaster Region Casualties
(Kenya)
Response
Remarks
1999 2000
Drought
Countrywide
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
Countrywide
-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
2004
Landslides Nyeri
district
2004
Food
Makueni, 82 dead
Poisoning Machakos hundreds
(Alfatoxin) Kitui
hospitalized
districts
5 dead
Rescue by
Landslides in
local
Kenya not
communities yet fully
studied
2005
Alcohol
poisoning
-Medical
supplies
-Food
inspection
-Public
awareness
campaigns
Machakos Over 50 dead Medication
scores
Crackdown
blinded
on illicit
brew
Source : CBS, WFP, CETRAD, National Disaster Management Agency
Remarks
-Food traders
blamed for
the poisoning
-WFP denies
that it
donated the
food
Indication of
poverty level
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 / Universities
Trained manpower
Availability 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
Mwebale Nnyo !