Seven dead in Garissa County as drought bites

Leaders from Garissa County have accused the national Government of failing to act swiftly to mitigate the effects of drought, even as the death toll of those who have lost their lives from starvation hits seven.

Lagdera MP Mohamed Shidiye says that one of the victims died after a fight broke up over borehole water.

“He wanted his animals to drink ahead of the others, and the water is scarce. That kid died and has been buried, even the police are privy to that matter,” he said.

Garissa County Assembly Speaker Mohamed Abbey has urged county governments in the North Eastern region to come up with ways of mitigating the effects of drought.

Read also: Water crisis hits Garissa as drought continues

Terming it a national disaster, Abbey has faulted North Eastern leaders for depending solely on the National Government for assistance instead of championing homegrown solutions.

“If we can have a budget slotted, frontier development counties will be able to actually do some things together than crying to the national government that most of the time is oblivious to our problems,” he said.

MP Shidiye warns that if the situation is not contained there’s likelihood of animals dying in masses and more people losing their lives in the constituency.

“The rains have failed, the metrological department has said that there will be no rain or there will be less rain this season so clearly we are in a disaster situation,” he said.

The MP also called upon the Kenya Meat Commission to move with speed and initiate a program to buy off livestock from the locals as this would provide some much need relief to the farmers.

In October, area leaders dismissed a government situation report excluding Garissa County areas worst hit by drought.  Shidiye had then said that failing to list the county among worst hit areas meant that little help would be forthcoming from the national government.

Water scarcity has persisted in the area with residents being forced to walk for over 30km to fetch water despite facing threats from wild animals including Buffaloes.

Garissa County is home to more than 600,000 people with thousands of pastoralists on the brink of losing their livelihood as the deadly drought bites.