Unravelling the impact of drought

The Governor of Turkana was in the news recently discussing the drought situation in the county. He was at pains to explain the disconnect between the amount of resources allocated to the county, reports on discoveries and developments in the county and reports of starvation as a result of the drought.

To be sure Turkana is one of the counties that exemplify the transformative impact of devolution. The introduction of a devolved system of government has led to improvement in the state of infrastructure and delivery of services. Discussions about the current situation should appreciate this context.

However, how government handles drought and other disasters continues to be sub-optimal. That the country has experienced reduced and delayed rainfall this year is not in doubt. So much so that when several parts of the country received rainfall a few days ago, the celebrations were instantaneous and widespread.

The provision of basic services is the function of government. Government should be judged not by its own assessment of what progress it is making in developing the country, but on the impact its actions is having on the lives of the citizenry.

This is what will make governance meaningful. Citizens delegate their sovereign authority to leaders with the expectation that they will get quality service and their lives will be improved.

For the residents of Turkana and other drought affected counties, the expectation from government is straight forward. Drought is not an unexpected occurrence in the region. Government must prepare and respond to it. Counties have a responsibility of dealing with the effects of drought in addition to taking preventive action to enhance preparedness and resilience of communities.

Listening to debate on the issue, one sees efforts by both national and county government to pass the buck to the other. This is the complete opposite to a situation where resource allocations are concerned. In this latter scenario both levels of government always compete on being in charge of the function.

Predictable event

Nature is unforgiving if neglected but supportive when taken care of. Drought in Turkana followed by floods have become a predictable event in the country. Since this is a natural occurrence, one may not grouse too much even though its consequences are devastating on the society. What is unforgivable is the poor and uncoordinated response to it.

Early this year, there were reports of maize farmers complaining about low prices for their produce. They protested and threatened not to supply their produce to the National Cereals and Produce Board. In addition, maize has reportedly been rotting in the stores.

To have citizens lacking food in one part of the country, while other parts have excess speaks more about governance and less about drought.

There are basic things that government at any level should deal with. Water is an important part of the equation. Its scarcity leads to drought while its abundance brings floods. Action is required to ensure that there is water harvesting and storage during periods of floods so that the excess water is kept for future use once the rainy season ends.

This would also mean that during drought there is water available. These would prevent death of animals and human beings due to lack of water.

Availability of food has both supply and distribution aspects. From a production perspective, it is imperative that Government assesses the quantity and varieties of produce in the region to determine their adequacy for the region.

Drought resistance should be an important factor in determining what type of foods should be produced and availed for such regions. The maize situation in the country demonstrates that production is only one side of the equation. Dealing with access is equally critical in the quest for ensuring food sustainability.

Food security is one of the Big Four Agenda. We cannot talk about big Four when the effects of death are debilitating on the population not just in Turkana but across Kenya.