Local leaders have raised concerns about heavy rains in parts of Wajir county that have killed one person and at least 900 animals in the past week.
The leaders have appealed to the departments of veterinary services and agriculture to urgently respond and save the situation.
Some of the most affected areas include Wargadud in Tarbaj subcounty, Elnoor in Eldas subcounty and Gurar, Adadijole, Dinikhu and Bosicha in Wajir North.
The situation is replicated in almost all the eight subcounties with carcasses scattered everywhere.
On Wednesday a woman died in Gurar in Wajir North subcounty after she was swept away by flash floods.
Her body was recovered the following day, some two kilometres downstream from the site of the accident.
Bute ward MCA Ismail Aden told the press in Wajir town that it was heartbreaking to see livestock owners continue to lose animals, their only source of livelihood.
“We want to appeal to the relevant agencies to immediately hit the ground and stop more deaths by offering drugs to the animals and any other support they might require. We are worried at how animals are dying in their hundreds,” Aden said.
Elnoor Tulatula ward MCA Abdullahi said it was unfortunate to lose the livestock that had survived the long drought.
Abdullahi said that it was unfortunate that whenever it rains pastoralists end up incurring loses.
He attributed it to lack of preparedness from those charged with the responsibility whom he said are supposed to put in place adequate measures including having vetinary officers on standby who will attend to the animals when they fall sick when it rains.
"For the last 20 years, we have been having this problem where when the livestock feed on greens. After a long period of drought they develop complications and end up dying. Why have the researchers and vets not tried to establish what the real problem is and come up with solutions to avoid this huge loses that farmers Incur every now and then," he said.
Livestock farmers who spoke to the press expressed their frustrations at the slow pace of response from the relevant authorities.
Abdi Hassan, a herder from Elnoor Tulatula ward, lost 200 goats and has only 50 left after another 250 died during the drought.
Wajir county director of veterinary services George Kiprono said they have already sent teams to the sub-counties to assess the situation.
The teams will identify what the real causes of the deaths are before embarking on treatment.
Kiprono said in most cases animals died of constipation and bloating.
