The Mandera County Government has launched a series of drought mitigation measures as the prolonged dry spell has continued to devastate the livelihoods and livestock across the region.
The drought has been increasing in severity over the past few months in pastoral communities has claimed a large number of animals in many parts of the county where piles of animal corpses can be found — thus the situation is becoming more and more serious.
The county government has responded to the situation by supplying water through trucking to the most affected areas, where water sources have continued to dry up.
At Rhamu, one of the most affected areas, people were seen crowding around water bowsers to fetch what has now become a very scarce resource. For a great number of people, the sight of a truck unloading water brought a lot of relief.
Local pastoralists were watering their animals at a groundwater collection point constructed by the county government when the drought was anticipated. However, residents say the supply only lasts about three days before it is completely used up.
In order to strengthen long-term resilience, the Mandera County Government has renovated eight water supply projects covering all the sub-counties, with a total expenditure of KSh 1.1 billion.
County officials say the initial interventions are the first stage of the ongoing efforts to protect residents from the harsh effects of climate change and guarantee water availability amid the unpredictable short rains.
However, the only source of hope that remains for many residents until the rains come is the water trucking programme, which is providing some temporary relief in a region that is suffering one of its worst dry spells in recent years.