Coast bears brunt of disappearing trees

Dakatcha Woodland in Kilifi. [Caroline Chebet, Standard]

In the blazing mid-day sun, the heat radiating up the feet through the shoes is unnerving. From a distance, the heat dances from the red soil, forming a mirage.

This is Baricho, Magarini, in Kilifi County. For a newcomer, it might feel like a furnace, but for residents of Dakatcha Woodland, this has been the norm for the past two years, a situation they say has been more rampant compared to countable rainy days.