By Walter Cheruiyot
Bishop Cornelius Arap Korir of Eldoret called on the Kenyan government to better prepare first responders in disaster-management techniques.
Speaking Aug. 14 during a program launching community development projects at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Bishop Korir said the need for training was imperative in light of how emergency crews responded to a fire that tore through a terminal at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Aug. 7.
The blaze destroyed the arrivals terminal and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights through the regional hub for a day. Firefighters were delayed in their response by heavy traffic and hampered in fighting the intense blaze by low water pressure.
In an interview with Catholic News Service, Bishop Korir blamed the government for the poor response to the disaster.
“It is sad that an international airport had no mechanism to control (a) fire accident, yet it was an issue that could have been prevented,” he said.
The bishop urged President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government to take steps to ensure that such a disaster would not occur in the future. Kenyatta has assured Kenyans that the government was committed to preventing such a disaster again.
“There must be a rescue team on standby all the time at strategic places so as to respond to disasters, rescue people in distress and fight fires when they occur,” Bishop Korir said.
The cause of fire remains unknown, but investigators have ruled out terrorism. The government has established a committee to investigate the incident. – CNS