Today marks the 17th day since Constable David Kibet Chesire was swept away by flood water after he stepped in an open manhole in Kamukunji, Nairobi, while trying to rescue a trapped family.

Sadly, efforts to recover the body of the 33-year-old officer have not borne any fruits.

It is sad to lose a family member but it is even more devastating when the body of the officer, who died in the line of duty, cannot be found.

Constable Kibet was the first-born, and the only son, and the pain to families that his body is trapped somewhere in the debris is palpable.

The family did not have time to bid him farewell but at least they have come to terms with the fact that their son is dead.

However, they need closure and return to a new normal way of life and this will only be possible if the body of the officer is retrieved and the family given the chance to accord him a decent send off.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and the authorities must up their game to recover the body by pumping more resources into the recovery operation.

The country has experienced many disasters and emergencies in the past, leading to the establishment of a full-fledged national disaster management unit that focuses on effective preparedness and response to emergencies. To ensure effective and timely response to disaster, the government through the Ministry of Interior also drafted the National Disaster Response Plan.

We call for a multi-agency approach involving the Kenya Defence Forces, the police, the National Youth Service and other humanitarian and rescue organizations to ensure that the body is retrieved.

The officials involved in the rescue operation should also come up with other measures including blocking the water and employing more sophisticated machinery in the operation.

There should also be proper planning to ensure Kenyans lives are safeguarded, properties secured and the environment protected.

Planning eliminates conflicts among responders and creates clear leadership of command, control and coordination based on best practices when disasters strike.

The case of Kibet and others should present the government with the opportunity to relook its level of preparedness to handle such cases in future.

Planning at national, regional and local levels is also critical to save lives, protect livelihoods and strengthen recovery from disasters and emergencies.