By Victor Ogalle
For six successive seasons a majority of the ASAL Counties did not receive sufficient rainfall with this tagging along a myriad of social and economic effects. Since mid March 2023 running through the beginning of April, the East African region has experienced heavier than usual rain quantities that have resulted into flash floods across the Northern and Southern parts of the country.
Traditionally flood prone counties were Kisumu, Busia, Siaya, Tana River, Garissa, West Pokot, Narok, Kwale, Baringo, Migori, Taita Taveta and Homabay.
However this list is increasing as four more countries have been joined the list i.e Isiolo, Marsabit, Mandera and Wajir.
The government through various agencies such as the National Drought Mangement Authority and humanitarian players like the Kenya Red Cross have been responding to this developing situation.
According to Maurice Anyango the Upper Eastern Regional Manager for Kenya Red Cross Society they began interventions that spiral back to 2022. This include integrated medical outreaches, relief food donations and cash for health support.
While in most past of the county the rains have come with good tidings in terms of agricultural productivity as well water and sanitation in Northern Kenya the rains are wrecking havoc.
With already over 2.5 million livestock dead in the ASAL counties in Kenya the little that survived have since been swept by flash floods leaving communities with nothing.
The worst affected parts of Marsabit county are Golbo, Obbu and Sololo wards with villages such as Laqi, Ambalo and Badan Rero left without road access after the floods cut off the areas.
This technically means that food insecurity will be on the increase as well the number of displaced people who have also lost hosehold and personal belongings.
A Kenya Red Cross report from joint assessments with county Governments showed that about 4,616 livestock have been lost nationally due to floods. Infratsructure has equally been damaged and swept away.
“In Marsabit county over 350,000 households have been affected in the three wards of Moyale Sub County and a further 8000 in the entire Marsabit county, by the floods which emanate from the neighbouring Ethiopian Higlands,” confirms Maurice Anyango.
Kenya Red Cross in partnership with Airbus Foundation conducted the relief food airlift programme to the far to reach areas of Laqi, Ambalo and Badan Rero. The airlift programe saw 315 households receive food aid that was airlifted from Dambalafachana area.
While humanitarian organisations have been putting in measures to mitigate the atrocities of the floods in Marsabit county another impending danger that the communities are glaring at is an infestation of waterborne diseases mainly cholera due to carcases that were not properly disposed.
The communities are also experiencing food insecurity due to a multi-year ongoing overall drought situation.
Access to clean and safe water is equally challenge as the water resources could be contaminated due to toilets being swept away leaving the community members with nowhere to ease themselves.
A spot check in North Horr and South Horr indicated that Hygiene Promotion at this point in time is among the key interventions needed as well provision of non-food items to supplement the few household items salvaged by the community members.
Galma Roba aged 67 years narrates how since his childhood he has never experienced such harsh climatic conditions. “I had over 200 cows and goats but after 2021 all my cows dies and I remained with 40 goats. We woke up one morning and they had been swept away by floods. I am now living like pauper with nothing I can call mine as I am being housed by my younger brother”, Shares Roba.
Data from the National Disaster Mananegement Authority as at 27th of March, at least 36,432 people had been affected by the floods across 19 counties in the country among them West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Marsabit, Samburu, Kakamega, Narok, Turkana Mandera, Kisumu, Nyamira, Kisii, Isiolo, Wajir, Kiambu, Siaya, Bungoma and Nairobi.
In the Rift Valley it is feared that landslides may occur especially in places where massive environmental degradation has happened due to rampant tree felling.
