Mandera residents will get relief from a biting water shortage after the county administration added 17 more trucks to supply the commodity.
Some 246 collection sites were previously served by only seven water browsers making it difficult to meet the needs of residents.
Governor Ali Roba launched the emergency water trucking initiative on Saturday.
“We are today gathered here to flag off an additional 17 hired water bowsers in order to ensure there will be an uninterrupted supply of water to these 246 water trucking centres to alleviate the suffering of our people and animals,” Roba said.
In the past, the concentration of people and livestock in certain areas have caused conflicts among the pastoral communities competing for limited resources and water.
Roba said his administration, the national government and other stakeholders will try and ensure that such a thing does not happen again.
The short rains season of October to December largely failed last year, with less than 20 per cent of rainfall received in Mandera county.
The low and erratic rainfall has resulted in depressed pasture and acute water scarcity.
The National Drought and Management Authority has already issued an alert over the deterioration in livestock body condition and milk production.
In its January report, the authority said that storage and water sources are depleting by the day due to the failed October-December rainfall.
The authority recommended intensified preparation for drought response as the condition will persist.
In the current financial year, Mandera's Department of Water Services has planned to drill 68 boreholes countywide.
Roba said already the drilling of 51 boreholes has been completed while the drilling of another 17 is expected to be done before June.
He said that 16 out of the 51 boreholes drilled turned out to be dry while the 35 are being test-pumped and equipped. Thirteen of the 35 boreholes have already been equipped and are operational.
“My administration implements a short term drought emergency water supply which involves the provision of water through water trucking, rapid response maintenance and the repair and rehabilitation of boreholes,” Roba said.
The long term resilience-building efforts include drilling and equipping of boreholes and the construction of major pans and dams.
The administration has now constituted a second rapid response maintenance team which will be based at Elwak to help reduce the time lag between a breakdown and its repair. Breakdowns are resolved in 48 hours.
Kenya Livestock Marketing Council chair Dubat Amey said last week that all indications are that drought is imminent, hence the need to start preparing early.
He said the government should put in place measures to cushion pastoralists from losses, including starting the off-take programme.