COUNTY ENHANCES PLANS TO MITIGATE EMERGENCIES
A taskforce that was constituted by the Kakamega County Disaster Management Committee with the aim of formulating a County Emergency Operation plan has stepped up efforts to finalize the important document within the required time frame.
According to the CECM for Public Service and Administration Madam Rodah Masaviru who opened the three day Committee’s workshop on Tuesday, once formulated, the plan will establish the required framework to ensure disaster response is appropriately coordinated across the County.
“Disaster preparedness will also include response management and early recovery to make sure lives, property and the environment are protected and that human suffering & trauma are minimized during disasters and emergencies,” noted Mrs. Masaviru.
The CECM for Finance, Economic Panning and ICT Dr. Beatrice Sabana assured the Committee of Government’s support to ensure the document gets validated for implementation. Her Education counterpart Dr. George Akolo Lutomia ascerted that the County Emergency Operation Plan will guide during mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction process across the County.
The Taskforce Chairperson Dr. Phitalis Masakhwe revealed that Kakamega is one of the eight Counties selected to pilot the plan across the Country. His Committee, he noted, comprises of stakeholders from various agencies among them; Cabinet members, Kenya Redcross and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST).
“Once we finalize this document, a report will be submitted to the County Assembly for validation before handing it over to the National Treasury for further action including consideration for adequate funding,” Dr. Masakhwe who is also the County’s Chief Officer for Service Delivery and Advisory Unit explained.
Chief Officer for Public Service and Administration Dr. Dominic Muteshi exuded confidence that the report will craft better ideas of handling calamities in the County such as floods, fire, stampedes and conflicts, among others. He recommended that equipment and facilities used in handling calamities be well equipped.
Members of the taskforce who are also attending the workshop are CECMs; Mr. Kassim Were, Dr. Collins Matemba and Hon. Kundu Makhanu, County Head of Disaster Managenent Madam Abigael Chepkorir, Director Physical Planning Mr. Stephen Chune, Dr. Maurice Pepela from the School of Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance at MMUST and Madam Euphrasia Musundi, the County Coordinator Kenya Red Cross among other officers.