Kilifi, Tana River pastoralists appeal to govt for compensation from drought

“Tumetoka Hola tumefika kurawa tukakaa karibu mwezi moja tulipata nyasi kidogo ikaisha, tumekuja kasangani karibu wiki moja hakuna nyasi kabisa,” Osman Gobu, one of the pastoralists told Citizen TV Saturday.

The pastoralists also want the government to purchase the remaining livestock to avert more losses, saying the situation is getting worse each day and if nothing is done, they will lose all their animals.

“Hii ndio tegemeo letu, tumepoteza mifugo mingi tunasema tafadhali serikali tufanyie fidia,” Abdulrahman Hassan, who is also a pastoralist, said.

According to Kilifi County Agriculture CEC Luciana Sanzua, 80 in 100 livestock die every day, and the situation is becoming dire.

The National Drought Management Authority further states that food prices are rising in the drought-affected areas.

On Friday, a section of legislators from the arid and semi-arid areas called on the government to consider distributing relief food instead of cash transfers, sentiments echoed by a section of residents in the two counties.

“The huge allocation done by the government and the progress of the intervention on the ground are not in tandem,” said Garissa Township MP Aden Duale.

Tana River County senator Juma Wario supported the compensation plea by pastoralists, urging the government to step in.

“Mizoga imekuwa mingi sana hapa, tafadhali serikali wale walipoteza wapatieni fidia, hawa watu waweze kurejesha maishayao ya awali, la sivyo maisha yao wafugaji itadhoofika na hali itakuwa ngumu zaidi,” said Wario.