Taking action against the drought in Kenya

In Kenya successive years of low rainfall have resulted in a worsening food situation – crops have failed and livestock died. In January the Kenyan Government declared a national crisis, but since then another rainless season has worsened the situation - it is estimated that upto 10 million people don't have enough to eat.

Some of the hardest hit have been the nomadic pastoralists, who depend on their cattle for their livelihood. In the unrelenting drought, hundreds of livestock have starved to death due to lack of pasture and water. For the tribes like the Maasai the loss of cattle is devastating. Catherine Senja, a Maasai widow eking a living out selling the famous Maasai red shukas, says “When I got married, my husband and I had 500 goats and 490 cattle. However, the drying up of the reliable water points and the eventual wilting of the once green grass in the area has eaten into my herd. As we speak, I am bitter to proclaim that I only have 49 goats and 5 cows!"

Prices for their livestock – most of them emaciated - have fallen dramatically. In the past, the sale of one goat would buy a 90 kilogramme bag of maize, now as many as six goats may be needed to buy the same amount.

It's not just the usual drought-prone areas of Kenya that are feeling the impact of current drought. In other parts of the country the changing rainfall pattern has affected food production, for example the main maize harvest is expected to be 28% lower than average. So the cost of maize, the staple diet of Kenyans, is likely to increase by up to 130%.

Conditions are expected to get worse over the coming months as the drought stricken areas will next be affected by the El Niño rains. So as Kenya swings from drought to flood, many Kenyans will struggle to survive. Some have already adopted extreme coping strategies, having fewer meals each day, eating cheaper and less nutritious foods, or moving to towns in search of work.

Writer and broadcaster Adam Hart-Davis visited Kenya a few years ago to see the threat posed by climate change, and Practical Action's work to reduce its impact on the poorest. In this video, below, he describes the situation.  

Practical Action’s work with the Maasai, Turkanas and Somali groups in drought afflicted areas is making a real difference. Our team have taken a number of actions:

• putting in more boreholes to provide access to clean and safe water,
• creating a nucleus herd of the healthiest goats and camels, so that when conditions improve this herd will help pastoralists recoup after the drought
• continuing our work on long term development by building up opportunities for alternative incomes. For example products can be made from crops that are suitable for growing in these arid areas, such as gum, resins, sandalwood harvesting, bee keeping and alternative livestock products from hides and hooves.

These communities are better placed to survive the drought. Other examples of our work include:

Drought preparedness in Turkana
Climate change has brought drought evermore frequently and severely, threatening nomadic pastoralists’ sources of livelihood. But clean and safe piped water has made a real difference to Turkana women, enabling them to grow vegetables in kitchen gardens.

Adapting to climate change
Women in northern Kenya are having to travel further each day in search of water, but improved panniers can make more efficient use of donkey transport.

Climate change diaries: Kenya Stop Climate Injustice Practical Action Eastern Africa Videos