Residents of Bura Bodhei village are set to benefit from a weekly supply of 20,000 litres water initiative by the National Youth Service unit based in the Hindi ward in a bid to alleviate the drought crisis that has afflicted the area.
The Hindi based NYS unit will carry out weekly water trucking to the nearby villages that surround the camp in a bid to aid locals who have had to make do with little to no water supply.
Speaking in Bura Bodhei village Monday during the water distribution exercise that will benefit the 400 villagers living in the remote village in Hindi, NYS commanding officer in charge of the Hindi Development Unit Stanislous Kivindu stated that the programme would alleviate the suffering of the villagers whose wells and water reservoirs Djabia have dried up.
“We will provide the villagers with water on a weekly basis, as you find women usually come to the NYS camp requesting to be aided with water,” he said.
The NYS commanding officer further said that the initiative aims to further create better relations between security agencies and the communities living in the Hindi area.
Mahrus Pembe, a village elder hailed the initiative stating that it would alleviate the suffering of women and children having to go long distances in search of fresh drinking water.
“Not only have we been going long distances in search of water, but the water that we usually find is sometimes contaminated and not very safe,” Pembe stated, adding that it would prevent residents from contracting cholera and other water borne diseases.
Sentiments echoed by Amina Bini, who further called on the county government to come up with water projects that would provide the scarce commodity to the vulnerable and marginalized communities within Lamu.
She further said new wells need to be dug up, which she added can only be done by the county government who have the resources to dig deeper wells.
Lamu Central Assistant County Commissioner Philip Oloo stated that the water supply initiative was especially timely considering drought had affected most of the villages in the area.
He stated that the water trucking initiative would further aid facilitate community security agency relations especially in the area that has in the past bore the brunt of suspected Al Shabaab attacks.
He further urged residents to use the water sparingly due to the scarce water resources that the county is currently experiencing.
Kiunga Youth Bunge Initiative Executive Director Noor Dahir commended the security agents for the water trucking initiative which he said would aid alleviate water insecurity in the area as well as better relations between the locals and the security agents.
He urged the residents to form a close collaboration with security agencies, whom he stated are keen to ensure security prevails in the area.
He further called on the national and county governments to work together to resolve the water insecurity crisis in the county which he said had already begun to affect pastoralism in the area.
By Amenya Ochieng
