Kisumu,17/8/2007
 
Deaths caused by landslides can be prevented if are sensitized against felling trees.

By Leo Odera Omolo

Natural disasters and calamities such as the landslide which hit a sleeping but quiet village in the Kakamega North Distict last week and claimed the lives of 18 Kenyans could have been avoided.

One way of avoiding such incidents is for the government to launch and embark on serious sensitization campaign to educate the rural population, especially those living in the slopes of the hills and mountainous locations against indiscriminate destruction of indigenous trees on the hilltops.

Many areas in western Kenya, like in the case of Khuvasali village, are prone to landslide. But the latest disaster could as well be a man –made calamity.

The reason being that owing to pressure of land in many places, people tend to ignore the natural rule of reforestation. People have gone up to the hilltop, either cultivating the land, or clearing them clean and bear of vegetations and trees.

The government, particularly the Provincial Administration, stands to blame for not adequately reinforcing the laws protecting the hills and mountainous areas. Many places are rapidly turning to desert as the result of the indiscriminate felling of the trees and clearance of vegetation.

One area in which disaster is on the waiting is the Nandi Escarpment, covering nearly twenty five or thirty kilometer stretch from Chemelil location through Chepsweta, Miwani, Kibos and Kajulu. All the hitherto beautiful and magnificently standing trees have already been vandalized by either the charcoal burners or firewood users.

The DCs, DOs, Chiefs and their assistants appear to have abdicated from their duties of reinforcing the law with the view to ensure that rain forests are preserved. If the situation continues as it is today, Kenyans should brace for more deaths to be caused by landslides in the future.

In some countries in Africa and beyond, governments at times even prevent human settlement in certain specific areas to prevent soil erosion as part of the preservation of ecosystem. And this is what our government must do to prevent any future disasters of this magnitude.

The perennial incidences of landslide disasters have occurred in Central Province, in Nyangweta of South Mugirango in South Kisii district, in north Nandi, in Meru region and latest in Kakamega. The past eruptions were caused by human negligence, which resulted in loss of lives. But the latest eruptions in which Kenyans lost 18 loved ones should serve as deterrent warning.

Anyone driving on the main Kisumu-Kericho road will notice that all the indigenous trees, which were previously standing on small hills in some areas of Soin in Kericho are gone.

Furthermore, it is not uncommon occurrence for one to see thick and heavy smoke billowing on hilltops, signifying charcoal burning , which has contributed largely to the clearance of all kinds of vegetation, leaving only bare red soil on the hilltops. And as the long rains come, the red soil and bear sharp rocks pointing upwards to the sky are left menacingly hanging lose.

Miwani and Kibos large scale sugar cane farmers live below the Nandi Escarpment. Maybe they are lucky enough this time, but what the future in store for them could turn to be the worst in the event of any landslide. Residents of Kano plains will not be spared either.

There are many s heavy rocks measuring thousands of tones, which are now standing on loose soil which is bear of any protective vegetation. These rocks could fell and traveling very fast into homes steads which are located downstream below the hills.

Prevention is better than mounting expensive rescue operations. The chiefs must tell people to stop the bad habit of felling trees on the hilltop as well as clearing vegetation .The villagers seemed to have vandalized hilltops without taking any precaution about the possible disaster and the danger of landslide. Environmentalist experts should have their services listed in the exercises.

The experience we have in this country especially during the period of the colonial rules chiefs were very strict on protective issues such as illegal tree felling diversion of water from river, construction of structures next to the flowing rivers and destruction of rain forest.

People caught in the act while committing such offenses were rounded up and arraigned before courts .Even illegal charcoal burners had difficult times.

But in independence Kenya the entire system of administration has collapsed. These days people defiantly cultivate the land up to only 10 metres away close from river in some areas even blocking free flow of waters in the river downstream at will.

The chief’s locational agricultural officers and instructors who are supposed to visit farms located in sensitive areas with the purpose of detecting any environmental degradation are nowhere to be seen. There’s too much laxity and complacency.

Clearing bushes and vegetation up to the top of the hill is very dangerous exercise because the top is left bear of vegetation. It is easy for the precautious standing rock to ran down when the holding ground becomes weak during heavy rains. And this is the major cause of the recent deadly landslides.

ENDS

Leooderaomolo@yahoo.com