Baringo residents plead for relief food as drought persists

A man digs up a well at Kapau in Tiaty, Baringo County. All rivers have dried up and villagers have to walk long distances in search of water. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Some of the worst hit areas are Yatya, Chemoe, Kapau, Gulal, Chesawach, Akoret, Ameyan, Katikit, Natan, Riong’o and Naudo.
  • According to Ms Lerireng, most families are surviving on one meal a day, depending on its availability.

Ms Chepochot Lerireng, 35, looks frail. She has not eaten anything for the past three days. Besides, she does not know where her next meal will come from.

But this is the least of her worries. Her concern is the health of her three-month-old baby. The fact that Ms Lerireng has not had a meal means that her baby will equally starve, she cannot breastfeed.

“My husband is our sole provider. He left home a few days ago in search of pasture for our animals and has not returned. I suspect he went to Silale Hills. I have now been left to fend for this family. But we have nothing to eat,” says Ms Lerireng, a mother of four from Gulal village in Baringo County. “My neighbour, who is equally struggling to feed her family, gave us a little goat milk. This is what my little one has been feeding on. It is almost over. I really don’t know what’s next,” she adds.

“If this drought persists, then we are doomed,” she says.

Ms Lerireng is just one of thousands of Tiaty, Baringo, staring death in the face, following the prolonged dry spell that has resulted in total crop failure in the region. The situation has been worsened further by increased cases of insecurity, with many residents being rendered paupers after most of their livestock — their major source of livelihood, was stolen by cattle rustlers from neighbouring communities.

GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION

Some of the worst hit areas are Yatya, Chemoe, Kapau, Gulal, Chesawach, Akoret, Ameyan, Katikit, Natan, Riong’o and Naudo.

When the Nation team toured the region last week, Kapau location Chief Sadaam Kalale painted a grim picture of the situation in the region while calling on the government to intervene.

“There are thousands of residents going without food and the situation might escalate if no action is urgently taken,” said Mr Kalale. He added that he feared people would start dying of hunger related problems soon.

“Several people, especially the elderly, children and women are helpless and most of them have been left alone at home as the able members of the families look for water and pasture. The situation may escalate,” he added.

Mr Kalale said all rivers had dried up. “We are forced to walk for more than 30km to look for water” he noted.

SURVIVING ON ONE MEAL

According to Ms Lerireng, most families are surviving on one meal a day, depending on its availability. “I no longer breastfeed my baby because I go without food for days. My other children eat if there’s food,” she adds.

She says the villagers rarely get relief food from the national government. “We only depend on businessmen from Chemolingot area, who once in while donate flour. If it gets finished, we survive by God’s grace,” she adds.

Silale Ward Rep Nelson Lotela and other leaders have appealed to the State to move in the region and provide relief food. “The situation is critical. Children are at a greater risk of malnutrition because they do not get enough food,” says Mr Lotela.

‘The National Drought Management Authority and other authorities should move with speed and assess the situation and initiate measures to contain this problem,” he adds.

Governor Benjamin Cheboi says the county is also focusing on expanding irrigation projects to increase food production. “We have set up 12 new irrigation schemes as a measure to avoid relying on rain fed agriculture,” says Mr Cheboi.