By Ali Abdi
Most pastoralists from northern Kenya spend many hours searching for water either for domestic use or livestock.
And as drought continues and water becomes scarce, rival clans are now fighting over the resource.
From the semi-arid Isiolo to the Chalbi desert of North Horr, desperate herdsmen trek for tens of kilometres searching for the precious commodity.
Women in Turkana Central trek long distances in search of water. Photo: Peter Ochieng’/Standard |
As the World Water Day was marked yesterday, rival clans have been forced to crowd the few functioning boreholes in Isiolo North, Isiolo South, Saku and North Horr.
This has often led to clashes among the pastoralist since mid-last year.
In North Horr, which measures about 40,000 square kilometres, herdsmen from Kalacha and Maikona areas have moved to Did Galgalu and Shur.
The herdsmen graze their animals in Did Galgalu then trek to any of the two centres, an average of 40km.
Forced migration
"I trek for about 40km three times a week to take my goats for water at Turbi. My wife and children have moved to Bubisa because they cannot persevere the hard conditions," says Mr Guyo Jillo, a herdsman in Did Galgalu.
Conflict had been low in North Horr largely because the area is predominantly occupied by the Gabra community. However, scarcity of water has reached crisis level and the few boreholes are overstretched.
The Pastoralists Integrated Support Programme programme manager Wario Guyo says it is expensive to run and maintain the boreholes.
Mr Guyo also says the Government did not prepare locals while introducing the cost-sharing policy in the early 1990s.
"For example, the boreholes in Bubisa that run for 24 hours currently uses 120 litres of diesel a day and a litre goes for Sh87 in Marsabit town, translating to Sh10,440 a day or Sh313,200 monthly," he says.
He also faults the Government for setting up boreholes and wells before conducting surveys.
"The boreholes set up in Lasiamis and North Horr in 2006, were done in a hurry and are not functioning today. Water from some boreholes is too salty for human consumption,’’ he adds.
He says areas such as North Horr need rock catchments instead of boreholes.
"In Forolle near the Kenya-Ethiopia border, we have set up rock catchments and are used by residents during dry weather spells. We are setting up another one in Laisamis with a tank carrying 1.3 million litres," he says.
In Saku, where the rival Borana, Gabra and Rendille share scarce resources, more than ten people have been killed this year alone, and thousands of animals stolen.
Conflict over access to water points has risen in Isiolo and pasture-rich areas such as Kom are no-go zones for some communities.
Constant raids
Kom hosted herdsmen from Samburu East, Laisamis, Wajir West, Saku and North Horr last year, until conflict broke out between the Borana and Samburu.
"The reserve forages diminished further while areas of fair forages such as Kom experienced constant raids and killings by people from neighbouring districts," reads the monthly bulletin by Isiolo Arid Lands Resource Management Project.
A gun battle between the two communities left 15 people dead in two days. Many herdsmen fled the area fearing for their lives.
"The Government should invest heavily in the water sector especially in northern Kenya where conflict is resource-based," says Friends of Nomads International co-ordinator Yussuf Dogo.
Mr Dogo says it was sad that Kenyans marked the World Water Day with reports of clashes over water in northern Kenya.
Pastoralists from Wajir South, Wajir West and Lagdera are competing for water and pasture. Local leaders led by MP Abdul Bahari have appealed to the Government to beef up security in the area.
"We also want the Government to involve residents in looking for lasting solutions to the water crisis. It is unfortunate that our people are fighting for resources such as water in this day and age," says Mr Bahari.
