• Two million Kenyans in need of food aid according to the drought authority.
• MPs want census exercise extended to accommodate communities from the Asals who migrated due to drought.
Image: FILE
Members of Parliament have warned that drought facing pastoral communities may affect census due to migration in search of pasture and water.
Led by the majority leader Adan Duale, the MPs under the Pastoralists Parliamentary Group want the national exercise set for August 24-30 extended for more than a day to give time for those who migrated to return home.
The seven counties hit hardest include Wajir, Isiolo, Baringo, Garissa, Marsabit, West Pokot, and Samburu.
Other Counties like Kajiado, Kwale, Narok, Laikipia, Tharaka Nithi have received some little rains.
They were speaking during a press brief at a Nairobi hotel on Thursday.
Duale said between now and November when the short rains are expected, the lives of people and livestock in these counties have been greatly affected leading to migration.
A drought situation report released on Thursday by Sunya Orre, the Director technical services at the National Drought Management Authority, the number of Kenyans in need of food aid has increased by 400,000 from last month.
In June, 1.6 million people were in dire need of food assistance, but this is projected to increase to two million people by the end of July.
The Garissa MP said there should be a deliberate attempt to set aside substantial resources for water tracking and rehabilitation of boreholes because they are currently overstretched, livestock off-take, food, and security.
“As we speak today, some of the people in Northern Kenya have either crossed to Somalia, Ethiopia or South Sudan in search of pasture and water,” Duale said.
He urged the director-general of the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics to address the unique situation in Northern Kenya when conducting the next census.
“It cannot be conducted in one night, 24 hours or 48 hours. It has to be done within a number of days that we all agree on because you cannot get everybody in all these counties in one night,” he said.
Duale added he will raise an adjournment motion in relation to the drought situation.
Samburu North MP, Alois Lentoimaga said the government should ensure every single person in North and Northern Kenya will be counted.
“Our people are pastoralists and when there is drought, you cannot get them at home. So we want the government to make a deliberate effort to ensure that all our people are counted because this is a national phenomenon and we don't know when the rains will come,” Lentoimaga said.
Fatuma Dullo, Senator Isiolo and Deputy Majority Leader in the Senate, said the government should prepare early enough for the drought that happens every year.
“There was a fund under NDMA that has since stagnated because of regulations. It is high time that this fund is operationalized so that people living in those drought-hit areas can benefit,” she said.
Edited by N. Mbugua