Misplaced priorities to blame for persistent drought in Asals – PS
Kello calls for coordination to implement development projects
1mon agoSTEPHEN ASTARIKORealtime
The Wajir government has partnered with the National Drought Management Authority to launch a water trucking initiative targeting all its sub-counties affected by drought.
Speaking in Sukeyla, in Wajir South subcounty, National Drought Management Authority CEO Haret Aden said the agency has embarked on early mitigation plans as a result of the depressed October -December rains of last year and the previous rain season.
Haret who was accompanied by Wajir South MP Mohamed Adow and the county director of water Mohamed Farah, disclosed that at the moment, 132 centres, and 117 learning institutions require water trucking in the county.
“To address the current situation, we have started early planning. Yesterday we had a meeting with the county leadership as well as nonstate actors operating in this county to try and map out the interventions and the hotspots,” Haret said.
According to the latest NDMA January report, Wajir is one of the counties that has been most affected by drought.
The county depends mostly on open sources of water which have dried up.
Haret said NDMA was also supporting other counties like Marsabit.
He reiterated that they will continue working closely with the leadership as well as the affected counties to ensure drought does not become a crisis.
The area MP commended the action from both the county and NDMA saying that, unlike in the past droughts where the response always comes late, finding the situation already severe, this time the intervention was timely.
“We are very grateful today for this help from the NDMA in collaboration with the county of Wajir. This early onset dry spell response to try and curb the effects of drought will go along way in ensuring the lives of people and livestock are saved,” he said.
Farah said there were several boreholes spread across the county which were serving residents after the water pans dried up.
He further said there were 20 water bowsers currently supplying water throughout the county.
“On behalf of the county government I really want to thank NDMA
for standing with us during the
drought period,” he said.
