Livestock owners and traders in Isiolo have appealed to the government to buy off their emaciated animals and cushion them from huge losses due to drought.
They want the government through National Drought Management Authority and other partners to buy their stock at a reasonable price so as to cushion them against losing their major source of livelihood.
The traders at the livestock market complained about the poor prices the animals are fetching due to their body condition, which keeps off buyers as the drought situation continues to get worse.
Isiolo livestock market chairman Abdi Halake Fayo said the situation has kept away the buyers who used to come from far counties such as Nairobi and Kiambu hence adversely affecting their business.
He urged the national and county governments to initiate programmes that will moderate the starvation and ensure local people earn a living from livestock and their products.
Isiolo NDMA coordinator Omar Abdullahi said the drought situation in the county is severe as this is now the fourth season in a row that the area has not received adequate rainfall.
Omar said an assessment conducted recently revealed that more than 28,000 households in the county are in dire need of humanitarian aid, with the situation likely to worsen if the region does not receive rainfall in the October-December rainy season.
Livestock executive Dr Lawrence Mwongela said Oldonyiro, Kipsing, Sericho, Garbatula, Chari and Cherab are the most affected.
He was speaking at the Isiolo livestock market in the company of USAID representatives who visited the county last week to assess the situation and inspect progress of their various programmes.
According to Dr Mwongela, at least 60 per cent of animals in the county are affected and in dire need of nutritional supplements like the ‘range cubes’ to improve their body condition and help them overcome the drought challenges.
He said there was need for the government to subsidise the range cubes so that they are made available locally and at fair prices.
Dr Mwongela added that the county was partnering with various organisations to scale up water trucking services and hire experts in most of the hard hit areas.
The Livestock executive said there was need for the national government through the Kenya Meat Commission to also conduct a livestock off-take programme that will enable them to buy the emaciated animals from residents to prevent further losses.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
