Baringo women and children have been forced to spend the night outside their homes in search of water.
The women have to scoop sand at the county's riverbeds after the springs dried following a prolonged dry spell in the region.
More than 10,000 children from Baringo North, Tiaty, and Baringo South are on the verge of dropping out of school due to water scarcity and hunger.
"I have been here the whole night only to fetch two 20litres jerry cans," Gladys Jebet told The Star at Cheptoriot River in Kerio Valley on Sunday.
She said the area last experienced rainfall in September last year. "Where are our leaders to help us in this situation?" she asked.
Jebet said that due to the water scarcity, she has not had time to prepare her three children every morning to go to school.
"I also have to leave my 4-year-old child under the care of his father in the night to beat the long queues at the dry rivers," she said.
Those with livestock are forced to travel for kilometres to water their animals at Kerio River, which is at the Baringo and Elkeyo Marakwet border.
Sote Daniel, another resident, said she has had to spend the whole night with her eight-year-old daughter at the river.
"We have decided to forfeit all other family chores to get water. We are forced to dig various spots at the river to access the rare commodity."
The residents appealed to the government through the area MPs William Cheptumo, William Kamket, and Grace Kipchoim to deploy water bowsers to the area.
Last Wednesday, Water PS Fred Segor deployed six water bowsers to serve residents of Tiaty, a move that locals in Baringo North and Baringo South.
Segor said the water tankers shall remain with the locals in Tiaty until the rains fall probably in April.
"The government has discriminated against us by only supplying water to Tiaty," Richard Chepchomei, a resident, said.
Over 200 schools are facing closure owing to the water shortage.
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