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The Boni forest is their major source of livelihood.
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However, since the launch of the Linda Boni security operation in 2015, the community has been banned from the forest.
At least 4,000 members of the Boni community in Lamu face starvation following a persistent dry spell in their areas in recent weeks.
The situation has left farmlands and water sources dry and stifled food production. The people are appealing for aid.
The Bonis live in Milimani, Basuba, Mangai, Mararani, Kiangwe, Pandanguo and Madina villages located inside the Boni Forest. The Kenyan army has a base in the forest and an ongoing operation to flush out al Shabaab insurgents.
The Boni's are hunters and gatherers, feeding mainly on wild fruits, roots and honey collected from the forest. Since the launch of the Linda Boni security operation in 2015, the community has been banned from looking for food deep in the forest.
The Bonis' efforts at farming have been unsuccessful. With poor harvests and the ban on forest activities, some members of the community are starving. Many children and women are suffering from malnutrition and related illnesses.
Mangai village elder Abatike Mussa said they sometimes survive by sneaking into the forest to gather wild fruits but that is barely enough.
He said the community has tried to actively undertake farming for the last six years but pests and wild animals have made it impossible for them to get meaningful harvests.
“We are hungry. We need food. Our children and women have no food. We can't live on wild fruits forever, plus it’s not always that they are available. We can’t go into the forest freely because the soldiers might mistake us for terrorists and shoot us. Someone bring us food,” Mussa said.
Mararani village elder Abarufa Dido said not a single community member has made any harvest in the last five planting seasons.
“All we need now is some food. Our stomachs are empty. We believe that a government should come through at times like this. We are not farmers but we tried to adapt, things are hard and the transition is even harder, but we remain positive,” he said.
Previously, the national government pledged to support the Bonis for the entire duration of the security operation.
Community spokesperson Ali Sharuti says aid from the state and NGOs stopped immediately after the operation started.
“They said they would help us for a long as the operation is in force but that hasn’t been the case,” he said.