Worrying forecast by the weatherman

Weather experts are warning that the dry spell in many of Kenya’s richest agricultural area will persist for some time. This is bad news at a time when millions of Kenyans are facing the threat of famine.

Rain failure means we cannot go back to normal food production. It also mains that the dams that supply most of Kenya’s electricity needs will not have enough water to run their turbines. Water shortages being experienced in major urban areas will persist, raising serious challenges for health and sanitation.

It is ironic, however, that as parts of Kenya suffer drought, others are drowning in more water than they can use. Parts of Western and Nyanza provinces are under water with the seasonal floods. In the areas of the northern Rift Valley hard hit by famine, crops and livestock are being swept away by raging waters.

This confluence of events must surely hold a lesson for us. In this day and age, we should not be relying solely on the elements to determine whether we starve or eat. We should be at the level of societal, economic and technological development where we are not forever hostage to the vagaries of weather.

Dryland farming technology has been employed in many places to ensure food all year round. Basic water-harvesting techniques can easily save some of the vital sustenance for dry days. Power generation can be diversified so that the national grid is not over-reliant on hydro-electricity.

And finally, there is that all-important imperative to protect and conserve the environment. If we destroy the Mau Forest and other important water catchments and degrade our land so that all the good soil is washed away, no amount of rainfall will save us from catastrophe.

The things that need to be done don’t need any constitutional amendments, just the right policies and the political will. That is sorely lacking.