Earthquake scare highlights Kenya's emergency response weaknesses
A series of earth tremors that caused panic in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has raised concerns over the country's ability to respond to sudden major disasters.
Nairobi - Major Stephen Sane, the acting head of Kenya's National Disaster Operations Centre, said Kenya lacked basic rescue equipment and the emergency medical services staff needed in the event of a serious earthquake.
His unit was created in 1998 after devastating floods, caused by the El Niño weather pattern, wreaked havoc on Kenya's infrastructure.
"Our disaster preparedness appears to be whimsical. It has not been taken seriously at the policy level," Sane told IRIN, adding that the country also lacked an emergency medical service and has to depend on the Red Cross.
