The National Drought Management Authority has said that between April and July this year, at least 2 million Kenyans from the 23 Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) will be food insecure.
NDMA Chief Executive Officer Hared Adan, however, said that the government has developed a contingency plan and mobilized resources to ensure that
the situation does not worsen.
“The government, through the special programmes is also
distributing relief food and also water tracking programmes supported by the
NDMA to keep the situation under control,” he added.
He spoke at the Modogashe Girls Secondary school in Lagdera
sub county, Garissa, when he led a tree planting exercise.
Hared further disclosed that at least five counties in the
country are at an alarming stage of drought with the expectation of low or below
average rainfall in the March – May long rain season.
The counties are Wajir, Mandera,
parts of Marsabit, Parts of Kilifi and Parts of Garissa County.“In terms of the outlook, it is expected that the arid
counties and parts of the coast will receive a depressed rainfall or below
average but we ask our Lord to give us the rains,” he said.“In terms of drought, there are a few counties which are on
alert stage but the government has put measures through a contingency planning
and resource mobilization to ensure that the drought does not become a crisis,”
Adan added.
Modagashe MCA Mahat Osman speaking to the press.
While calling on the stakeholders and development partners
to work together through the county steering committees to avoid duplication of
services, the CEO revealed that the water sector is the most affected by the
drought and that they are working on at least 15 water projects across the 23
affected counties to ease access.
“The most affected sector is water, and that is why we are
doing water tracking in several counties. We have also, as a government, made
deliberate investments in water infrastructure by improving the existing ones
and developing new ones,” he said.
He disclosed that the drought agency is putting up 15 water
infrastructures in the next few months across the country. This, he noted, will address the issue of water scarcity in the identified hotspots.
NDMA Chief Executive OfficerHared Adan speaking to the press.
“The government is putting a lot of effort into doing a number of
water infrastructures to
address the issue of drought. Basically, drought should not become an emergency
if you plan ahead. And be assured the government has planned to ensure that the issue
of water is addressed in the country,” he said.
Modagashe MCA Mahat Osman, on his
part, said that at least 17 centers in his ward require water tracking and
called for sustainable measures to be put in place to ensure that water
challenges are resolved for once.
“NDMA has been doing a good job to ensure that our people
get water. The county government has been helping but this is not enough yet.
We need all the stakeholders, the national government and non-governmental
organizations to come together and bring permanent solutions,” Osman said.
Modagashe MCA Mahat Osman speaking to the press.
