Helpless villagers in Kajiado County fight for daily survival as water and pasture shortage bites

Margaret Sirea suckles her 10-month baby at Ol Tepesi location in Kajiado County. She says says they only eat at mid-day as they cannot afford breakfast and supper. (PHOTO: ELVIS OGINA/ STANDARD)

It is 1pm at Ol Tepesi, Loodokilani in Kajiado County. Margaret Sirea, a mother of eight, washes clothes as her children sit outside under a shade in the compound.

Despite having taken their lunch just over an hour ago, the children sit forlornly as the hot afternoon sun scorches the dusty ground from the clear blue sky above them.

The following day looks like years away, as it is when they will have their next meal. Just like their parents, they have to do with one meal a day as drought continues to wreak havoc in the region and other parts of the country.  

Ms Sirea, who has a 10-month-old baby, says they only eat at mid-day as they cannot afford breakfast and supper.

She now has to sell one of her goats every few weeks to buy maize meal for the family, but she fears she may not have any more goats to sell if it does not rain soon.

“We only take ugali and vegetables for lunch, but currently, it is rare to get the vegetables at the market due to the drought. When I don’t get vegetables at the market, I feed my children ugali and salt because I do not have any other option,” says Ms Sirea.

Whenever she sells a goat, she ensures that besides buying enough maize meal for the family, she also sets aside some cash for water, a rare commodity in the area.

The only borehole at Ol Tepesi serves nearly 1,000 people, but the number is growing with more people from neighbouring villages flocking to get water for themselves and their animals.

Monthly charge

The drought in the region has made life unbearable for the locals and their livestock, since they now have to pay a monthly fee for water for domestic use and for the animals.

Ms Sirea pays Sh40 per cow and Sh10 per goat every month so that her livestock can get water from the borehole. She says the money is used to maintain the borehole.

Her story of struggle in the wake of the ravaging drought is replicated around the region.

Ntoiyan Ntiono, 46, says walking for long distances from his home at Noonkujit to Kudu Hills, 27km away, to look for water and pasture for his animals has become a daily routine.

The father of eight told The Standard he leaves his home at 4am every day for the long, gruelling journey.

He says he can no longer rely on the Ol Tepesi borehole, which is 15km from his home due to the long queues there.

LONG WALK

“I always pass by Ol Tepesi borehole and proceed to Kudu Hills because I cannot wait in the long queue since I need to make the return journey home in the evening,” says Mr Ntiono.

The herder, who has 30 cows, 50 goats and two donkeys says because of the remote nature of the region, he has learned how to cope with having to walk long distances to look for water and pasture, but fears things could take a turn for the worst this year if the rains do not come soon.

“I have been doing this since when I was 19 years old. The drought has worsened this year since some seasonal rivers in the region have all dried up. We expect short rains in December, but if they fail, our livestock will all perish and we will die of hunger,” says Mr Ntiono.

Setei Lepilal, 27, who lives near Toroka River in Olpirikata village has resorted to scooping out sand from the river, which has dried up, so as to get water for his livestock.

He says he has been doing it for the last two months, a far cry from a few months ago when there was adequate water, with the river having broken its banks during the rainy season.

“This has been a daily routine for me. I depend on my livestock and I need to ensure that they get water. If it fails to rain in December, all my goats will die and I will become a poor man,” says a pensive Lepilal.

Loodokilani Member of the County Assembly John Matinda says the region experiences drought almost perennially, with water being the biggest headache for residents.

He says the entire ward with a population of nearly 13,000 people depends on two public boreholes.

“Drought is a great challenge in this region. There is an outbreak of livestock diseases, especially among goats, which has made the situation worse. We are planning to drill other boreholes to curb water shortage,” says Mr Matinda.

He says despite numerous appeals, the national government has turned a blind eye to the suffering of people in the region.