Jackson Kilonzo - Mwanedu Fm
Taita Taveta County is one of the 47 counties in the country that have been affected by severe drought. For a year and a half, this county has been receiving very low rainfall which, according to weather forecasters, is insufficient for farmers in agricultural activities.
As a result, many residents who depend on crop and livestock farming activities have been left at crossroads after the aquifers and existing water sources have dried up. “If the government and its animals will destroy the plants and crops that much, where will the money come from to even repair our water tanks? We are asking the national government to stop destroying our source of income. From 2019 we did not see these animals, and we cultivated a lot of food with no distractions, even when you sleep you are comfortable because you know all the elephants have been locked in the park but at this time all the elephants are back. The government has a lot of officers but the sad thing is that we have been given few officers and they cannot protect the area of Kishushe, Paranga, and Mlilo, in this county of Taita Taveta. The government should re-fence the park and let us do our farming in peace.”
The edge of drought continues to be witnessed in various parts of the county, especially the Mwakitau area located in the Voi constituency where the locals say they have missed harvesting for three seasons now due to the lack of rain witnessed.
Due to the scarcity of water, these residents have to travel long distances to access the wells, and unfortunately, when they arrive at the water stations, they have to queue due to the number of people looking for water.
The drought has also had an impact not least on breeders who have lost many livestock, especially cows in Mwatate, Voi, Wundanyi, and Taveta constituencies. One month ago, lions attacked a village in Mbololo Voi Constituency and killed more than two hundred goats in one night, a situation that caused a lot of discussion and accusations against the government, wildlife organizations, and environmentalists to intervene and improve the environment.
The edge of drought continues to be witnessed in various parts of the county, especially the Mwakitau area located in the Voi constituency where the locals say they have missed harvesting for three seasons now due to the lack of rain witnessed.
In the same way, the extreme heat of the dry spell in particular parts of Tausa has led the inhabitants of the area to have to stay for up to four days without eating anything while calling on the government and the humane people to intervene and save them. “Our county does not have enough food due to little rain.”
It is because of this that the office of the wife of the governor of Taita Taveta Sabina Mwadime set up a committee to collect food together with other humanitarian aid to help the families most affected by the severe drought wave.
According to Mwambingu Mwambi who is an elected representative in the Taita Taveta county assembly the committee will continue to support Dr. William Ruto’s decision to help families affected by the severe famine caused by the lack of rain, saying the areas they are targeting are Kishushe, Mwanda Mhange, Mbololo, Ngolia, and Tausa.
His words were supported by the deputy governor of Taita Taveta, Christena Kilalo, who explained the importance of cooperation between leaders, environmentalists, and nationals to deal with the effects of drought in the country. “We have hope that the drought will end and day by day people are helped through the food aid we get from the government, and I have proof of that.”
The director general of the weather forecasting department of Taita Taveta county, Robison Asira, speaking about the drought issue, explains the reasons that contribute to the deterioration of the environment while urging the locals to closely follow the advice from the department of weather forecasting to avoid the effects of changes in the country’s behaviour.
