No more water conflicts in Tana River as projects bring relief to residents

By Stephen Oduor

After decades of losing many lives to crocodile attacks, residents of Gora village in Tana River County are witnessing a major turning point, thanks to a collaboration between the county government and World Vision Kenya.

The tears families have shed and the fear of fetching water will finally be a forgotten tale following the construction of a water supply project that will benefit more than 3,000 households.

Gora residents have for long been fetching water from River Tana due to a lack of alternative sources. As a result, many men have been made widowers and women widows following crocodile attacks. Children have been orphaned.

Village elders say that at least 80 percent of the households have a tragic story about crocodiles attacking their kins while fetching water from the river.

“When we see such a project, we can’t hold the tears of joy because we can finally breathe in relief. We thought we were forgoten, but this project has proven to us that we have been in the ‘radar’,” says Ismail Mohammed, an elder.

According to Mr Mohammed, crocodiles had made Gora village a hunting ground of sorts. In a year, more than six people would fall victim to their attacks. He notes that women and children were the most victims, being the ones who would mostly go to the river to fetch water.

Mohammed reiterates that quick intervention by the current county administration is an act of humanity. “When the governor came here during the campaigns, we had one request. He promised to deliver it, and he has kept his promise,” Mohammed says.

Fathma Ahmed, also a resident, notes that the project is a source of comfort and ease for parents who have always feared for their children. “Most of the graves resulting from crocodile attacks here are of children, especially girls. Therefore, this project, to us, means a good stab at the belly of death,” she says.

The Ksh10.74 million project constructed by World Vision Kenya through funding by USAID, and in collaboration with the county government, is no doubt a milestone for the people of Gora, and a step towards transforming livelihoods in the village.

The project involves the development of intake infrastructure, which includes and equipping of a strategic  borehole, a transmission pipeline, construction of cattle troughs and an  elevated water tank of 10,000 litres capacity, and two water kiosks in Gora and Kumbi villages, some few kilometers apart.

Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana says this is among the County Government’s efforts to end perennial water-related conflicts that have resulted in the death of hundreds of people. “We have come a long way in ensuring a peaceful county. Water scarcity has been the major cause of conflict, and we have been determined to ensure we seal all gaps that can inspire such conflicts. This is just one among the many projects we have initiated,” he says.

The Governor points out that a history of human-human conflict, witnessed last in 2012, and the human-wildlife conflicts in different parts of the county, have been largely due to water scarcity. He highlights Kone Location in Tana Delta as one of the areas that has been experiencing many cases of the human-wildlife conflict, being that it borders Tsavo East National Park.

“The conflict over water has lots of victims of wildlife attacks, while others have been arrested for breaching the forest. This is a problem we have found a way to end by coming up with water projects in respective areas,” Governor Godhana explains.

Among the projects the county chief notes the administration has managed to commission include the Chirfa Water Pan in Assa, Assa Kone borehole, and Kone water pan, that have ended the human-human conflict over water.

Tana Delta is the fallback area for herders across the county and from North-Eastern region. Guest herders often run into conflict with locals who are keen on protecting their scarce resource.

Governor Godhana notes that a water resources mapping supported by UNDP-Kenya had strategically mapped out all the water resources, including watering corridors locally known as Malkas. He adds that taking note of migratory corridors for livestock will play a major role in reducing the conflicts.

“The County Department of Water, led by Ms Harufa Algi as the the CECM and Mr Abdulkadir Sirad as the Chief Officer, have been doing an exemplary job in the construction of water pans by ensuring we have separate places for watering animals and for domestic use,” he says.

In Assa and Assa Kone areas, the county government, in collaboration with the National Drought Management Authority, has constructed strategic water pans factoring in the welfare of wildlife and that of humans, by creating a water trough stretching 3km into Tsavo East. This has reduced the wildlife-human conflict caused by elephants that tend to attack residents and vandalise water projects when searching for the precious commodity during dry seasons.

In Bura Constituency, the administration is extending the water pipeline from Bura to Chifiri, an area that has experienced severe drought and lacks a water table to sustain boreholes and shallow wells. The pipeline extension project has a potential to serve Wayu residents once fully implemented.

“We are investing more than Ksh700 million on water projects across the county. This includes Ksh147.5 million from the equitable share contribution, Ksh174.1 million from Equalization Funds and other investment programmes from Coast Water Works Development Agency, Sustainable Management and Access to Water and Sanitation in ASALs Programme (SWASAP) supported by DANIDA, Kenya Marine Fisheries Socio-Economic Development (KEMFSED), and World Vision Kenya.

“Some  of the projects will be finalised by end of this year, while others will stretch across our CIDP 5-year programme. The World Bank, through the K-Wash programme, has also considered Tana River County with a funding of Ksh3.5 billion, running from this final year to 2028, with an agenda of 100 percent water coverage. Our main objective is to ensure a water stress free county by 2030,” says Governor Godhana.

Just ahead of the World Water Day on March 22, the Governor stated that his administration was determined to leverage water for peace by ensuring all areas affected by lack of water were covered.

He said he wanted to be remembered for leaving behind a cause for sustainable peace, a situation that has prevailed for much of his tenure in office.