Residents of Kheira Ali and Bambo towns in Waranqara Ward, Mandera County, face starvation as the dam dries up.
The town’s borehole broke down for the seventh time in seven years with just an engine problem, as residents lament neglect from the county government.
Adhan Bashow, who is an elder of Kheira Ali town, said the town he called home for twenty-six years is now a vale of tears and now considering relocation.
"I have lost all my cattle, and children are manning the last few goats and camels beyond the borderline to Somalia, with many people also crossing over to the Ethiopian border in search of pasture and water," said Bashow.
He pointed an accusing finger at the Mandera County leadership for being unable to fix small borehole breakdowns as the water table went lower due to the looming drought season.
Member of County Assembly Waranqara Ward Abdullahi Shukri Ibrahim called on the County Government to be proactive in the provision of water and its drought mitigation efforts.
"Kheira Ali location has no boreholes; as the dam dried up, the short-term action is continuous water trucking and perhaps an emergency borehole to be drilled between Gari and Bambo to shorten the distance of water to be taken across the ward," Abdullahi said.
Abdullahi said his people have also relocated to Isiolo County and Bisanhargeysa of Tana River County with their livestock, a move that has put the people in debt as they lost the animals to the drought after incurring the transport expense.
He said Waranqara Secondary School is supplied with water through donkey carts, which is not enough for the 352 students from neighboring towns Ambay, Saafo, Bambo, Sogoley, and Jabibaar.
"We appeal to the county, national, and non-governmental organisations to cushion us through these hard times.
"We are grateful to Mandera Governor Mohamed Khalif for making secondary schools free; next, we appeal to him to give us more relief food to keep those children at school," Abdullahi added.
This comes after leaders from North Eastern Kenya called on President William Ruto to declare the drought a national disaster.
The governor of Mandera said he constituted a 350 million bursary fund to lift off the parents the burden of paying school fees in the looming drought.
Lafey Constituency MP Mohamed Abdi who was elected on a Jubilee ticket and promised better living standards on his campaign pledges, with insecurity toppling the main nightmare for the first time legislature, now is on an uphill task to quench the thirst of his electorates.