The greatest drought to hit Kenya in 40 years is taking the nation’s main water sources with it. Back then, life was nourished by the rivers of Kenya, which were a wonderful force of nature. Yet, as a result of the rivers’ current dryness, millions of Kenyans are suffering and feeling anxious as their future is now in jeopardy.
Water that formerly provided for thousands of people living along river banks is now the source of conflict between communities, farms that are essential to food security cannot be irrigated, and fish that once supplied them are no longer there.
Wildlife has also been affected by the water shortage; regions that were previously green and teeming with various species are now arid and filled of animal carcasses.
A major source of water for Lake Victoria is the Nzoia River, and the decline of its tributaries poses a grave threat to its sustainability. Collateral harm has been done to Saiwa National Park, the habitat of the rare and endangered sitatunga. According to John Mwavula, poachers have murdered at least 18 situtangas as a result of the marshes around the park being cleared, which exposed wildlife to them.
The rivers that flow through the counties of Narok, Kericho, and Bomet will soon dry up.
Locals attribute the drop in water to the widespread eucalyptus planting along riverbanks. Due to this, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) was compelled to provide thorough instructions on how to handle the trees, which are thought to contribute to soil degradation by lowering groundwater levels.
Communities in Baringo County’s sleepy Kabimoi trading center are currently on the verge of war over what little of the Emining river remains. People protect the dwindling river that once provided water to several towns downstream while armed with bows and arrows.
Molo river
After an ambush by some youngsters from the nearby Mogotio sub-county, this has been the routine for about a month. By destroying pumps, pipes, and other infrastructure, the Mogotio group, the most of whom reside in the Emining region, asserted that they were preventing the unlawful diversion of water upstream.
Residents of Mogotio are experiencing a double tragedy because the Molo River, their alternative water source, is also running dry.
Yet in Baringo, it is now usual to compete for water along the Perkerra River in Marigat, Baringo South. Locals are currently receiving water from Lake Baringo due to the river’s low water levels. The Perkerra Irrigation Scheme’s thousands of farmers have also been impacted by the water issue.
The Fourteen Falls in Thika are being choked by the Athi River’s low flows. The available water is already tainted with sewage that has been deposited by nearby industrial-scale farms.
On the other hand, Ewaso Ng’iro river is now only a collection of sporadic water puddles and broken boulders at Archer’s Post in Samburu County. The river has been divided into sections for sand collecting.
Experts worry that Eldoret’s Sosiani River, which is likewise shrinking, may soon go extinct. Downstream towns including Bungoma, Webuye, Kitale, Eldoret, and Kapenguria have been impacted by this.
