Kajiado school children bear brunt of severe drought

Livestock keepers are moving to Tanzania in search of water and pasture as the drought ravaging the country persists. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Peter Sekento, Chairman Board of management at Sairashe Primary School in Kajiado West, said the school has experienced about 50 percent dropout due to the drought.

Several schools in rural parts of Kajiado County risk closure as most parents move with their livestock and children to far flung areas in search of pasture due to the ongoing drought.

Drought currently ravaging the county has led most livestock keepers in the county to leave for neighbouring Tanzania with their families leading to massive dropout by pupils from schools.

Speaking to the Nation on Monday, Chairman of a voluntary group, Kajiado Fukuza Njaa Initiative, Nackson Ole Umash some of the badly affected areas include Mosiro and Ewuaso Kedong in Kajiado West, Enkaroni in Kajiado Central, Olgulului and  Lenkisin all in Kajiado South, Imaroro area in Kajiado East.

“Our findings in the affected areas show many school aged children are out of school due to the biting drought, but to show its effect parents join in to ask for the food donated to the children in schools,” said Ole Umash.

DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL

He said in such areas children choose to drop out of school or are forced to stay away from school to look for water or walk long distances in search of pasture together with parents.

“It is saddening that at this age and times children are kept out of school due to lack of food both County and National Governments must act to find a lasting solution to this menace,” said Ole Umash.

Peter Sekento, Chairman Board of management at Sairashe Primary School in Kajiado West, said that the school had experienced about 50 percent dropout due to the drought while calling on both the County and National Governments to act swiftly, before more children drop out of school.

“It is disturbing that most parents have moved from this area to other parts in search of pasture and water. As we speak the school has a population of 147 down from 259,” said Sekento.

Daniel Teeka, Head teacher Olentooko Primary School said that despite the area experiencing acute water and food shortages, the schools do not benefit from any form of feeding programmes and the little given by government was not enough.

NEED FOR URGENT ACTION

“The budget given to schools for feeding programme is not enough as at now we lack water and children are going without food, in fact this is a total humanitarian case that needs urgent action,” said Daniel Teeka.

The situation has prompted Kajiado County Assembly speaker Johnson Osoi to call on the county Governor Dr David Nkedianye to move swiftly and ensure some funds are allocated to fight hunger and water shortage adding that the county assembly will approve such allocation as hundreds of people were famished including children due to the long drought.

“The issue of drought in the country with specific regard to our county needs faster action. As the Assembly we are open to proposals and approvals of any plans, budgetary or otherwise that will ensure we mitigate the effects of drought as soon as possible,” said Mr Osoi.

MITIGATION PROGRAMME

The National Government on Thursday said that it had committed another Sh7.4 billion to be spent on the second phase of the drought mitigation programme in the country between February and April when long rains are expected to arrive.

This comes after a similar intervention was done by the government in the first phase starting from September where Sh5.5 billion was spent on relief food, nutrition, water, animal feed, livestock disease management, drought tolerant seeds and re-positioning of strategic food reserve stocks in an effort to support 1.5 million at the time.

Currently, at least 2.7 million Kenyans mostly from arid and semi-arid parts of the country and the government in need of an additional Sh11.4 billion to address food shortage and malnutrition across the country.