Health crisis looms in Kilifi as drought bites

A health crisis is looming in Kilifi County as residents complain of increasing cases of diarrhoea and typhoid in the wake of prolonged drought that has hit most parts of the country.

More than 200,000 people are faced with starvation in the area. On Wednesday, the residents pleaded with the county government to intervene before the crisis gets out of control.

Mr Kahindi Kitigombo, a resident of Ganze said they feared disease outbreak in the area because they have been forced to drink contaminated water from streams.

He said over the past two months, residents have been sharing drinking water with livestock, which has exposed them to risks of contracting water borne diseases.

“The situation is so bad that we are forced to share drinking water with the animals, the effects are that most of us have been diagnosed with typhoid and diarrhea,” he said.

Mr Kahindi blamed the county government — under the leadership of Governor Amason Kingi — for engaging in endless political war with the national government at the expense of the residents who are grappling with poverty, lack of food and water.

On Tuesday, the national government led by Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa and County Commissioner Joseph Keter distributed relief food which included rice, beans and cooking oil to 3,077 households in the county.

As a short term measure to mitigate the pandemic, the government also announced plans to give out Sh28 million, where each household would receive Sh6, 000 every month for the next four months.

In addition, the national government in partnership with Finland and British Red Cross societies will give out Sh15 million to the worst hit areas with already more than 250,000 people in the county going without food and water.

Mr Kahindi pleaded with Governor Kingi to put his political difference with the national government aside and focus on a joint mission aimed at addressing issues affecting the residents.

“The political difference between these two levels of governments is to blame for the problems affecting us, we do not want to see both sides engaging in supremacy battles and yet hunger is almost robbing us of our dear lives,” he said.

Another resident, Ms Christine Karaba complained of health problems as a result of drinking salty water from the stream, which she confirmed they share with their livestock.

"Since I was diagnosed, I have not yet recovered as my health is deteriorating day by day. I am now paralyzed and our leaders don’t seem to care about our plight,” she said.

The residents, who looked perturbed, blamed the county government for failing to focus on quick solutions to contain the drought problem.

Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro asked governor Kingi to prioritize on the issues affecting the residents instead of showing off with projects that do not offer quick solutions to the current situation.

Speaking partly in his local dialect, the lawmaker asked the residents to consider voting out Mr Kingi because he had failed them.

“He (Kingi) has nothing to show since assuming office four years ago. This is not the kind of leadership we want, you should not vote again for such a leader,” he told the hungry residents.

County Public Health Officer Vincent Iduri however said they have not received any report on diarrhea and typhoid, but indicated that officers are on the ground monitoring the situation.

“As far as we are concerned, no peculiar cases of health problems have been reported to us apart from the normal dry spell facing the residents, we are alert working up and down to contain any disease outbreak that might occur as a result of drought,” he told the Nation in a telephone interview.