Efficacy of Mitigation Strategies in Disaster Prevalence in Public Secondary Schools in Machakos County, Kenya

Schools all over the world have established ways of mitigating disasters. The mitigation measures aim at reducing or preventing loss of lives, destruction of property and emotional torture of victims. However, the question remains: How efficient are these safety strategies in keeping school children secure from disasters? This study aimed to determine the efficacy of mitigation strategies in disaster prevalence in public secondary schools in Yatta Sub-County Machakos County, Kenya. The objectives of this study were to: Determine the influence of stakeholder awareness on disaster prevalence; Establish the influence of frequency of disaster drills on disaster prevalence in Yatta Sub-County public secondary schools, Machakos County, Kenya. This study was guided by Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The target population comprised all 61 public secondary schools in Yatta Sub-County of Machakos County. Through the stratified sampling method, 20 public secondary schools were sampled. One sub-county director of education, 20 principals, 4 teachers and 5 students from each school were selected using a purposive sampling method. Instruments for data collection were questionnaires, interview schedules and observation checklists. A pilot study was conducted in two schools which were not included in the main study. Data collection was done through questionnaires, which were hand-delivered, face-to-face interviews, and the direct use of observation checklists. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mode, mean, median and percentages, while Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. Data was presented in tables and figures. The research revealed that stakeholders' awareness influences the prevalence of disasters. Stakeholder awareness of various disasters made it easy for them to fight disasters, reducing casualties. Inadequate finances affected the prevalence of disasters. Poor implementation of disaster policies influenced disaster prevalence. Early and quick responsiveness to disasters eased the management of disasters. Some schools had inadequate facilities and equipment. The study recommended that MOEs should create awareness of various disasters in learning institutions and also make resources available.