Families agonise as drought in 7 counties at alarm stage

The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) has raised concern over the worsening drought situation in the country, with seven counties now at the drought alarm stage.

The seven are facing biting drought, which threatens lives of thousands of people and livestock.

“The number of people in need of assistance is projected to increase to 4.35 million by October 2022 if the short rains season performs below average. At least seven counties are in an alarming drought situation at the moment,” reads part of the NDMA August bulletin.

The seven counties are Isiolo, Mandera, Samburu, Turkana, Wajir, Marsabit and Laikipia.

Thirteen other counties—Embu, Garissa, Kajiado, Kitui, Makueni, Meru, Narok, Nyeri, Tharaka Nithi, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Kwale and Kilifi—are in an alert drought phase, meaning their situation is also wanting.

Normal phase

Another three counties of Baringo, West Pokot and Lamu are in a normal phase, according to NDMA. The authority warns that the rapidly worsening drought was due to the four consecutive poor rainy seasons that have undermined crop and livestock production. “The drought situation has continued to worsen in 20 of the 23 ASAL counties. This is attributed to the poor performance of the 2021 long rains, coupled with previous three failed consecutive seasons. Several parts of ASALs remained relatively dry in July, experiencing below-average rainfall (less than 75mm),”says the report.

Recently, NDMA chief executive Hared Hassan revealed that the decline in livestock prices, increase in cereal prices and the general increase in prices of most consumer goods continue to undermine the purchasing power of households, exacerbating food insecurity in ASAL  counties.

Acutely malnourished

NDMA, in the latest report, revealed that at least 884,464 children, aged between six months and four years, are acutely malnourished because of the drought. According to the agency, also affected are 115,725 pregnant and lactating women, who are further in need of treatment.

The authority says that the number of children at risk of malnutrition in Baringo, Kajiado, Kitui, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, Tana River, Tharaka Nithi and Wajir is increasing. “Most of the children have become malnourished because of reduced milk consumption and poor diet as a result of poor child feeding practices,” reads the bulletin.

In Samburu, for instance, severe drought has forced herders to migrate hundreds of kilometres in search of pasture and water.

Two years of consecutive poor rains have pushed pastoralists to the edge. Since 2020, little rain has fallen in Samburu, with close to 200,000 residents having difficulty getting water and food.

Poor vegetation

According to the NDMA report, prolonged drought has manifested in poor vegetation and increased in temperatures. Areas affected include Nairimirimo, Waso, Wamba West in Samburu East and Nachola and Ndoto in Samburu North. Hundreds of children are acutely malnourished and need urgent intervention as drought continues to ravage the region.

Empty stomach

Ms Elizabeth Karimi, a resident of Murera in Igembe Central, Meru, has been going for up to three days without a meal for the last three months. As the sun scorches the dry earth, strong winds blow, turning the air brown with dust adding to the struggles of the hungry residents.

For the last three seasons, Meru County has not received rains and rogue herders have invaded farms in the Murera area, clearing the only remaining drought-resistant cowpeas, which locals now survive on during such times. “I wake up every morning to look for menial jobs at Kiutine market. It is hard to get any job these days. If I am not lucky, I rely on good Samaritans to put some food on the table. We last had a decent meal two days ago,” Ms Karimi says.

In dire need of food aid

According to Mr Nuro Godana, the NDMA coordinator in Meru, more than 200, 000 residents are in dire need of food aid.

“Igembe, Tigania and Buuri areas of Meru are at an alarming stage. We are working with various partners to do interventions in provision of water, food and animal feeds,” Mr Godana said during the launch of a drought intervention project by Ripples International at Murera Primary School.

Ripples International is supporting feeding programmes in 10 schools in Meru and Tharaka Nithi at a cost of Sh10 million for two terms. Murera Primary School head teacher Nathan Kithinji said the programme has enabled more than 100 pupils to resume learning.

Mental anguish

Nearly two years since the drought struck Tana River County, robbing both the rich and aspiring merchants of their livestock, the victims have been suffering in silence. Most families that were once stable with hundreds of livestock have been left destitute, struggling to earn a living.

In Galole village, Mahmoud Bare* is a man under watch. The once rich trader suffered a mental breakdown after losing 212 head of cattle and goats to the drought. “When the herdsmen came back with eight emaciated cows and seven goats, he was shocked and suffered hypertension. We took him to hospital where he recovered after a week,” narrated his wife.

Suffered a heart attack

According to the woman, her husband’s tribulations did not end at that as they worsened when he got home. She notes that the old man suffered a heart attack three days later after walking out of the house to see three carcasses of cows he was informed belonged to him. 

“Our children saw him walk and thought he had recovered, so they took him for a walk and gave him a report of how the remaining cows had died, he fell.”

The family rushed him to Hola Referral Hospital and later to Malindi Sub-County Hospital where he stayed for two weeks. Hospital bill had accrued and the family had to seek help to clear it.

“A few weeks after we got back, we noticed he would get into fights with neighbours, especially those who had a few livestock.”

The woman notes that the husband would go to homes, undock cattle and claim ownership. He would drive them to his home and instruct his children to find them grass. Anyone who dared reclaim the livestock was physically assaulted, and many times, he lost the battle and the owners took away their livestock.

Mr Bare’s now spends time alone locked in a house where he is served and when need be he is taken out to bask in the sun. Left free, he is a danger to himself and to the neighbours.

Many other residents of Tana Delta are victims of the harsh drought and are falling deep into the trauma of staring at poverty where riches ones ruled.

By Eric Matara, David Muchui and Stephen Oduor