No water, food as drought ravages Boni villages

Residents of the vast Boni Forest in Lamu county are facing an acute water shortage following the dry spell that has hit the region.

They are now forced to share with dangerous wild animals since most of the water pans have run dry. The only pan in the area has very dirty water.

Journalists accompanied Kenya Red Cross Society officials to some of the villages to distribute food and came face to face with the disaster.

In Pandanguo village, which is about 21km from Witu town, there is only one water pan left and community members are forced to drink the water with buffaloes.

The water is dirty and has turned yellow. Residents say it's risky fetching water as one may come face to face with a buffalo seeking to drink.

In Kiangwe village, the scenario is similar as locals have to fetch water from the only remaining pan that is 10km away.

Both villages are not easily accessible, making it difficult for them to get support from the authorities.

The road to Pandanguo is in bad state and considering the insecurity caused by the Somali-based al Shabaab militants, it's challenging to send supplies.

Driving from Witu town to Pandanguo, we did not find any other vehicle along the road.

Sending food to Kiangwe, Red Cross had to organise a boat to carry the supplies as the road is far from the village located inside the Boni Forest.

Bakari Mzee Abdalla, a resident of Kiangwe, said they received little rainfall this season, which has led to the water pans drying up and no harvest at all.

Currently, he said, the major problem is water. “The water is not safe and can bring a lot of health problems especially for children who can get diarrhoea. At times the water is smelling urine of wild animals that we share with,” he said.

Abdalla said the wild animals are many and the day they go to the pan, it's difficult for humans to fetch water.

He appealed to the county and national governments and well wishers to come to their aid.

Abdalla said they are happy with the food they got from the Kenya Red Cross but called for others to support them as the drought situation is worsening each day and even fish is declining in the ocean.

Yusuf Nur said the water problem has affected Kiangwe, Mararani up to Basuba areas within the Boni Forest.

He said even wells when dug produce salty water, adding that the only solution is to get water pans so as to harvest more water during the rainy season.

“We are grateful for the relief we have got from Kenya Red Cross. The national government should also intervene because Red cross alone cannot provide full support as they have many other responsibilities,” he said.

Nur said about 1,000 residents in Basuba and Kiangwe are in dire need of aid.

“Last week, we almost lost an old man who was suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting profusely, luckily Safari doctors were in this area and treated him,” he said.

Fatuma Shidho, a resident of Kiangwe village, said they depend on wild fruits and a little maize as the drought has had a negative effect on their livelihoods.

Red Cross Coast regional manager Hassan Musa said they provided relief food to all the seven villages in Boni because they have been hard hit.

He said a village like Kiangwe cannot be accessed easily due to insecurity, adding that they have to load the vehicle and then hire a boat to transport the food.

“We have brought relief food here but the truth is the cost of transporting it is very high because you have to use a truck then take it with a boat before carrying it to the village for the victims to get food,” he said.

Edited by Henry Makori