MP Kaguchia slams govt over poor disaster preparedness
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, March 10, 2026Mukurwe-ini Constituency Member of Parliament John Kaguchia has severely reprimanded how the government deals with preparedness for disasters in the country by stating that the government officials always confuse the delivery of warnings and actual action.
In a morning interview on March 10, 2026, on a local TV station, Kaguchia contended that early warning is necessary but not sufficient to mitigate the effects of foreseeable risks in a community, citing the increased frustration over the way the government has dealt with recent flooding.
“When we look at the issue of disaster preparedness, we were warned, but this government sometimes seems to think that warnings are the same as responses. The more they communicate that there is a warning, the more they believe they are responding,” Kaguchia said.
Call for Strategic Planning
Kaguchia added that when it comes to a disaster-preparedness issue, we were warned, but this government appeared to think that warnings are responses. The more they talk, the more they are warned, the more they think that they are reacting.
Kaguchia emphasised that the measures to reduce disaster risks should be planned strategically, preparedness programmes should be financed, and important infrastructure, such as urban drainage, should be maintained in good condition. He emphasised that warning can only do so much, which is followed by action, and therefore he urged ministers to put management of disasters at the centre of budgetary allocations.
Severe floods highlight risks
The remarks by the MP have come at a time when there is growing social fear that the disaster response system of the state has been behind schedule, even though extreme weather patterns have been recurrent.
The torrential rains caused devastating floods in Nairobi and other parts of the country, the capital city of Nairobi being one of the worst-affected areas. At least 42 fatalities due to the floods were reported in the country, with approximately 26 in the city of Nairobi in the county.
Massive rains flooded low-lying neighbourhoods and informal settlements, washing away cars, drowning houses and draining them.
Thousands of people were displaced, and the infrastructure was significantly damaged as emergency services were unable to access people in need. The disaster brought back new questions of preparedness and whether there was more to be done to avoid such loss of life and property.