A well of hope in dry lands turns the tide on thirst and hostilities

Locals load their donkeys with jerricans of water drawn freely at Ol Serian Farm. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Water is a precious resource for households, livestock and livelihoods in the arid and semi-arid areas of Mashuru Sub-County, Kajiado County.

Years ago, women trekked kilometres in search of water, digging shallow wells that often yielded little before drying up.

Livestock, too, had to be driven long distances to drink, as families struggled to secure enough water for domestic use and their animals.

Today, women in Elangata, Nanyokie village, Kajiado East Sub County gather at a community water point, filling their jerrycans from a running tap.

There is a sense of relief as water flows, sparing them the long journeys they once made in search of the precious commodity.

Charity Ndosho is among the women seated beside the tap, taking a breather as her containers fill.

As the jerrycans fill up, she loads them one by one onto her donkey, which stands beside the water point.

She then begins the journey home, two and a half kilometres away, looking happy.

The 54-year-old used to spend hours trekking in search of water for her household and livestock.

With no reliable water source, the long journeys were at times fruitless, and she would return home with empty jerrycans after finding wells dry or the water too contaminated for use.

At times, she returned home to find her children already asleep, having spent much of the day searching for water.

“The water supply is a relief and a game changer for this community,” says Ndosho.

“Our lives revolved around waking up very early in the morning to search for water. We spent entire days trekking, never knowing when we would return home. We had no peace,” she adds.

“At times, we faced insecurity as we dug wells in thickets and areas that were not safe. We also feared wild animals. Sometimes, we had to flee from attacks and return home empty-handed.”

Access to water is also a lifeline for her livestock, says Ndosho.

She keeps 10 goats and five cows, which provide her with a source of income.

However, during drought, the stock were vulnerable to dehydration and death, while the cost of buying water for the stock ate into family earnings.

“When there is drought, we lose goats,” she says.

Ndosho recalls paying between Sh10 and Sh30 for water when supplies were scarce.

As drought weakened her animals, goats that would ordinarily fetch between Sh6,000 and Sh10,000 could sell for as little as Sh2,000.

“Would you buy water for your livestock or for your own consumption? If you cannot afford even a cup of water for yourself, can you afford a jerrycan for your animals? This was our reality. We had to leave our livestock without water,” she says.

Under the scorching sun, herds of goats, sheep, cows and donkeys gather at the water point to quench their thirst.

Previously, livestock owners had to pay between Sh30 and Sh50 per animal for water, adding to the cost of keeping their animals alive during dry spells.

For Dominic Lemayan, access to water has made pastoralism easier by ensuring his animals can drink when they need it.

“Having a source of water for my livestock while grazing has made pastoralism easier. I used to ration the water I gave my stock, but now they can access it more easily,” says Lemayan.

Located about 100 kilometres from Nairobi, the area faces water scarcity that shapes daily life, livelihoods and the relationship between communities and wildlife.

During dry spells, people and livestock would travel farther in search of water and pasture.

Wildlife faced similar pressures, increasing human-wildlife conflict, as both search for water to survive.

It is against this backdrop that Dr Fred Mugambi Mwirigi decided to set aside part of his land for a community water point after drilling a borehole on his property.

Rather than reserve the water for his own use, he considered how the surrounding community could benefit.

The water point now serves residents who previously had to trek long distances to find water for domestic use and their animals, in addition to wild animals.

“The biggest conflict is between people and wildlife in the search for pasture and water,” says Mwirigi.

Mwirigi believes that improving access to water, alongside other community initiatives, can help address some of the pressures that contribute to conflict.

His farm is called Ol Serian, meaning ‘a place of peace’, and he hopes it will become a place where people and nature can coexist with fewer tensions over scarce resources.

“When I moved here, the main challenge I encountered was water, but the soil is fantastic. You can do a lot,” says Dr Mwirigi.

For residents, the benefits of the water point include time saved and easier access to cleaner water for domestic use.

Rachel Muloma recalls spending two or three days digging shallow wells, only to find little water or return to dry wells.

Even when they found water, it was often mixed with soil and contaminated.

“We are not only accessing water, but clean water. Initially, we would draw water mixed with soil, which we could sieve, but even after boiling, it would never turn clean. We suffered diarrhoea and typhoid,” says Muloma.

The Standard meets Muloma at the water point, where she draws water into her jerrycans and washes her clothes.

She says even after spending hours digging wells, she could return the following day to find it dry.

Further, before the community water supply was introduced, she recalls the struggle of searching for the commodity, particularly during drought, when women risked encountering wild animals along the way.

Livestock could also be stolen as herders travelled through thick vegetation in search of water.

“The water has solved conflict and restored peace in the community,” says Muloma.

“During droughts, our donkeys could not manage trekking long distances because of hunger. Now, we are happy that the water source is near,” she says.

Valentine Mung’oru says access to water from a tap has made it easier to fetch the precious commodity and improved its quality.

“We are not only able to access water more easily, but also clean water. Drawing it from a tap saves us the time we previously spent searching for this precious commodity,” she says.

During a visit, The Standard observed residents taking responsibility for the water point, keeping it clean and ensuring that water was not wasted.

“Getting water freely, without rationing, is a dream come true. We are happy because this allows us to spend more time with our families, saving us the hours we would otherwise spend trekking in search of water,” she adds.

Access to water for Mwirigi is, however, only one part of a broader effort to support the community and protect the environment.

He says climate change is intensifying pressure on natural resources, making conservation increasingly important in an area already vulnerable to drought.

One of his priorities is tree planting, with plans to establish a small forest in the community and encourage residents to plant and nurture trees rather than cut them down.

“Charcoal burning is common in this area because it is a source of income,” says Dr Mwirigi.

However, working together with environmentalists, we coordinate community tree-planting initiatives to educate residents on the importance of trees.

“They plant and nurture the trees, ensuring they grow to maturity. For every tree cut, we encourage them to plant at least five in its place,” he adds.

The Standard met Mwirigi on Mazingira Day as he joined community members in planting indigenous trees, an initiative aimed at restoring the environment.

The exercise was also attended by fellow members of the Rotary Club of Nairobi Lang’ata, who are working with the community to promote environmental conservation.

The team further planted tens of trees at Elangata Nanyokie Primary School and the commissioner’s farm.

Mwirigi, also a Rotarian, was inspired by Rotary Club's pillar on protecting the environment and says healthy ecosystems are essential to protecting livelihoods and reducing pressure on resources that people depend on for survival.

Through its partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under the Community Action for Fresh Water initiative, Rotary supports clubs and communities in protecting, restoring and sustaining freshwater ecosystems.

The initiative also promotes sustainable management of natural resources and strengthens communities’ capacity to conserve the environment.

The tree-planting exercise aligns with President William Ruto’s 15 billion tree-growing programme, which seeks to increase Kenya’s tree cover.

The program has seen approximately 766.3 million trees planted nationwide.

For Mwirigi, the connection between environmental conservation, livelihoods and peace is key, noting that protecting natural resources is essential to the long-term well-being of communities already grappling with water scarcity and drought.

The challenges facing women in Kajiado East Sub County reflect a wider global problem.

A 2021 World Health Organisation (WHO) report noted that one in four people globally, representing at least two billion people, lacked access to safely managed drinking water.

During World Water Day celebrations in March this year, the UN highlighted how the global water crisis affects people unequally, with women and girls often bearing a disproportionate burden when water is scarce.

“Where people lack the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, inequalities flourish, with women and girls bearing the brunt. It’s time to centre women and girls in water solutions,” said the UN report.

The organisation further called on women to shape water policies and decisions, with their voices, leadership and agency fully recognised.

“When women and girls have equal voice in water decisions, services become more inclusive, sustainable and effective. We must invest in women’s leadership to make water a force for a healthier, more prosperous, gender-equal future that will benefit us all,” the UN added.