By Jeckonia Otieno

The overhead sun casts heat over the plain where the Tana River meanders its way into the Indian Ocean. The vast area is dry due to deficient rainfall.

Just as the river’s course changes many times during the rainy season in the flood plain without warning, the fragile peace among the communities coexisting in the delta has also turned out to be unpredictable and with distressing eventualities.

A man grazing his cattle near the river has a worried look — he is not sure what tomorrow will bring.
Ngonyo is one of the areas which have been seriously affected by the clashes that rocked the Tana Delta leading to the death of more than 100 people. It is the village near the bank of the river where those displaced from Kikomo have come to seek refuge.

When the clashes broke out, residents of Ngonyo hurriedly took off leaving a ghost village. But it did not stay desolate for long as residents escaping from other volatile areas such as Kikomo came in and occupied the space left by those fleeing.

Says Abdullahi Jalicha: “We were also escaping but when we got here we realised that there were no people so we decided to call this place home because it would be safer than where we came from.”

Miracle deliveries

When there is conflict, some things in life don’t wait. One of the displaced women tells The Standard that she saw five women deliver as they escaped from Kikomo. It was a miracle, she says, because in giving life, the women had to contend with lack of medics, attackers and wild animals.

But all was well, as the women and their newborns arrived in Ngonyo safely.

But the huts are fewer than the people camped here. Some have constructed makeshift tents but still there are men who spend the night out as they leave the women and children to share the few available shelters.

They spend the night by the fire just in case there is any danger of attack.

But there is a problem. With a curfew in place that requires everyone to be indoors when it strikes 6pm, the people are confused since there are no houses.

Osman Roba says if the security forces were to come calling, then most would be arrested for not obeying the rules, yet the circumstances are beyond their control.

The situation of these internally displaced persons is indeed perilous. The short rains are bound to start any time soon and when they do, it means more problems due to floods and disease outbreaks. Crossing the Tana River itself is dangerous as it is infested by vicious crocodiles.

Wanton destruction

The alleged wanton destruction of property by security forces under the umbrella of disarmament has piled more misery.

Dungoti Molu watched as her livelihood was destroyed by the same police force which was sent to restore peace. Molu claims she lost everything.

“They opened sacks of cereals pouring the contents and as if that was not enough they also spilled cooking oil robbing me of my lifeline,” laments a devastated Molu.

Molu, who was a resident at Odhole, swears that the situation is more wanting than people imagine. In solidarity, the locals say that they need the police to treat them as Kenyans, not just like some aliens who happened to be in the wrong place.

“They can talk to us then we will appreciate peace but if they come to beat us, then how can we talk of peace?” Molu argues as villagers around her nod in agreement.

Accessing medical services is a problem. The nearest health facility is quite a distance away — at  Odha, an hour away. The roads here, just like the rest of the delta region are rough.

To treat their sick, these villagers use herbal medicine. For exampla, one-year-old Jamilla Magalle has a leg covered with herbs mixed with milk cream to soothe her pain.

Hawa Galgalo cuddles her twin babies who have stomach problems. Her sore breasts produce milk mixed with pus which the five-month-olds have fed on since they were born. Unless peace is quickly restored for her to seek medical help, then the children will sooner develop complications which might have serious consequences.

It might seem like calm is returning but locals say that they cannot go back to their homes before the operation is over as they fear for their lives.

Besides they have nothing to return to — their crops and animals were destroyed while their houses were burnt down.