Millions of Kenyans, especially those in the Northeastern and Upper Eastern regions, are facing starvation due to drought.
According to the latest report by National Drought Management Authority, more than 2.6 million livestock deaths have been reported.
The current losses from deaths is estimated at Sh226 billion.
Weather experts are indicating that there are possibilities of suppressed rains that are expected between March and June, which will in turn mean a more devastating drought.
If these reports are anything to go by, this is not the time for the government and those in authority to sit in offices and wish the problem away with hope that it will only affect a certain region of the country.
If nothing is done soon, the drought effects will be felt by the entire country and not just the forgotten regions.
It is time government started planning ahead and finding ways of ensuring farmers are empowered to shift to irrigation rather than depending on rain-fed agriculture, which is proving to be unreliable.
Things are elephant and it is time the state handles the drought with the urgency the situation demands to save lives and livelihoods.
Mahatma Gandhi said the future depends on what you do today.
The government needs to realise that its people will perish if it fails to avert the worsening hunger problem. On the other hand, lives will be saved if it acts now and plans ahead
