The government has commenced an enhanced water trucking exercise in Marsabit County tailored to address water shortages occasioned by the drought stress being experienced in the county.
Principal Secretary (PS) State Department for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) and Regional Development, Mr. Kello Harsama, termed the water scarcity in Marsabit County as dire and promised that President Ruto’s Administration will address it in a timely fashion.
Mr. Harsama made the remarks at the Dadach-Lakole trading centre in Moyale sub-county when he flagged off water trucking that will be executed in collaboration with the Kenya Defence Forces to assist thousands of residents affected by the current drought and their livestock.
Mr. Harsama, who was accompanied by, among others, Marsabit Deputy Governor Solomon Gubo, Chairman of the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) Board Shallow Yahya, and NDMA CEO Lt. Col. (Rtd.) Hared Adan, said the grave situation had been caused by below-average rainfall during the 2024 short rains season and the prevailing La Niña phenomenon.
The prolonged drought has left many areas experiencing critical water shortages.
These areas include Golbo, Heillu/Manyatta, Korr/Ngurunit, Loiyangalani Wards, and parts of North Horr, Moyale, and Laisamis, where families are receiving relief food from the government.
The PS said NDMA would continue monitoring the situation, adding that providing water to the affected communities through trucking was important.
“This initiative is important in reducing the immediate effects of water scarcity in the about 26 areas across the county,” he stated.
The PS expressed gratitude to NDMA and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) for their collaboration with the County Government in facilitating the timely delivery of water to those in need.
He at the same time thanked other partners and agencies involved in efforts to cushion vulnerable families against the vagaries of weather, including the Lake Turkana Wind Power, World Vision, Plan International, and the Sign of Hope, and appealed to more players for support.
NDMA CEO Col. (Rtd) Hared Adan pointed out that the drought situation was worsening in most of the 23 ASAL counties across the country.
Col. (Rtd.) Adan noted that the situation in at least 20 ASAL counties, which are currently classified in the “Normal” drought phase, was deteriorating.
“Counties like Wajir, Kwale, and Kilifi are in the “Alert” drought phase, which means that all the environmental indicators that we monitor have fluctuated outside the seasonal range,” the CEO said, adding that the authority has commenced water trucking in Wajir County.
He added that NDMA was using funds from the national drought emergency fund (NDEF) to truck water to affected families, schools, and health facilities in order to mitigate the effects of the prevailing drought in both Marsabit and Wajir counties.
Both the national and county leadership at the function emphasised on the forecast for the 2025 long rains season, which predicts below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures, saying it is bound to present more challenges.
The Kenya Kwanza administration was focusing on both immediate relief and supply and investing in long-term solutions like improving the water infrastructure and building drought resilience.
Local leaders commended the government’s proactive approach and urged that the situation continue to be closely monitored for more effective response initiatives.
By Sebastian Miriti
