Feature: Drought devastates Kenyan communities

Until late 2016, the number of Kenyans facing starvation according to the government were 1.3 million.

But the number based on audit by ministry of devolution under which management of drought emergencies that directly relate to distribution of food falls, is to exceed 2 million should there be no urgent implementation of workable solutions.

It is the drought; the lack of rain causing depression on farming that farmers had nothing or little to harvest because there was no water to sustain crops or harvest.

Generally, Kenya received depressed rainfall between October and December 2016 whose impacts were failed crops and deterioration of foliage and pasture for livestock, putting the country at the risk of food insecurity, shows the Kenya Meteorological Department weather review for the three month season.

The low rains were preceded by months of heavy rains which destroyed crops and deaths from collapsing buildings.

While the Ministry of Water and Irrigation says progress is being made in constructing dams to cushion the population from long dry spells, some farmers in the Rift Valley region are already enjoying the benefits of a steady supply of water courtesy of their own initiative.

Paul Njoroge is the secretary of Kibepingo Community Water Project whose accomplishment is the construction of the Kibepingo dam in Njoro area in Nakuru County, Rift Valley region.

The dam completed last year benefits more than 4,000 farmers who would previously withhold their farming activities until the rain comes.

"We are happy not to talk about lack of water at the moment. In the previous years it was terrible. Most people suffered in hunger," said Njoroge on Monday.

Communities in the area had struggled with prolonged period of dry spell which had adverse impacts on their crop and livestock production, he says. But the people had a choice to make to change their lives.

A hundred people from the four villages accessing water from the dam came together in 2013 and with consultation with the area communities wrote a proposal for construction of the dam and soliciting funds.

They managed to draw technical and financial support from the National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation, a state agency with an overall role of implementing water infrastructure in the county.

They also received a financial boost from the County Government of Nakuru. The dam draws water from Subuku River which drains into Njoro River, an estuary of Lake Nakuru.

The water has been piped from the dam and farmers can draw it from the adjacent taps and troughs for livestock drinking, home and farm use. Njoroge said farmers can now collect the water to irrigate their farms any time of the year.

"Majority of the farmers around here grow tomatoes, cabbages, kales, potatoes, beans, maize and wheat for sale. Others are dairy farmers, so this water is a big breakthrough for us," said Njoroge.

He said community members should be more proactive in solving their problems since they are familiar with them instead of waiting for other institutions to take the initiative.

The 100 members, Njoroge included have also been trained on climate change, water harvesting and proper farming practices by Ministry of Agriculture. "We urge farmers not to farm along the river banks as this dries up rivers," advised Njoroge.

"We also urge them to plant trees in plenty as they are agents of fighting against climate change. Drought is a nightmare. Children get affected because when crops fail parents have nothing to sell to send them to school."

According to media reports, by Jan.17, ten schools had been closed in Baringo,one of the counties in the Rift Valley region affected with the drought with more than 100 others likely to follow should the population fail to receive food relief.

In pastoralist communities in the Northern, North Eastern and Rift Valley parts of the country where lack of food, water and pasture for livestock has been more pronounced, local leaders report of school going children moving with the animals to better places, abandoning studies.

Last December, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) alerted Kenya of a looming hunger this year due to a prolonged dry spell.

While Kenyans wait for the rains in March or April, the devastation is already severe for the millions of the households lacking food to eat or adequate clean water to drink. Endit