Despite ongoing rains in some parts of the country, the outlook remains grim for most ASAL areas in 2018, with the Kenya Meteorological Department saying that “the forecast indicates that much of the country and especially most of the eastern sector is likely to experience generally depressed rainfall”.
Only several areas in North-Western and Western Kenya, central Rift Valley, Central Kenya, Nairobi and “a few areas” in South-Eastern Kenya “are likely to experience near-normal rainfall with a tendency to above-normal,” states the weatherman.
For decades, the government and humanitarian agencies have been rushing food aid whenever there is famine in most Arid and Semi-arid Land (ASAL) areas in Kenya.
But with rising effects of climate change and high food prices, such programmes are no longer sustainable because cases of drought have become quite frequent and prolonged—meaning deepened strain on food aid initiatives.
For example, only last month, the Kenya Red Cross Society(KRCS) made an appeal for a massive Sh1 billion to assist millions of Kenyans facing starvation in ASAL areas such as Tana River, Garissa, Isiolo and Kajiado.
Other agencies including the USAID have equally recorded huge leaps in funding of food assistance programmes in Kenya. Records by the US agency show that in the fiscal year 2017, it spent $95.5million to provide 64,796 tonnes of food, an increase from 2016 when it sunk $64.3million for 51,150 tonnes of relief rations.
Despite ongoing rains in some parts of the country, the outlook remains grim for most ASAL areas in 2018, with the Kenya Meteorological Department saying that “the forecast indicates that much of the country and especially most of the eastern sector is likely to experience generally depressed rainfall”.
Only several areas in North-Western and Western Kenya, central Rift Valley, Central Kenya, Nairobi and “a few areas” in South-Eastern Kenya “are likely to experience near-normal rainfall with a tendency to above-normal,” states the weatherman.
“We are still in a drought situation, we have significant food insecurity, numerous Kenyans are just coping,” Elijah Muli, the Head of Disaster and Risk Management at the KRCS said during an interview.
Faced with such reality of unpredictable weather and growing burden of relief programmes, State and not-agencies have opted to try something different, including taking up irrigation and cultivation of drought- resistant crops in ASAL areas. These strategies have started yielding fruit in some of ASAL areas and agencies hope to scale them up.
For example, after the 2011 drought, residents in some ASALs including Marsabist and Walda in Moyale, no longer depend on food aid. Some 64 acres of land in these areas have been put under irrigation, through the KRCS.
“People no longer depend on food aid, it is an oasis. Residents have onions, water melons and tomatoes. At least 200 farmers benefit directly from the project” said Mr Muli insisting that such kind of interventions are the only way out for the country, at a time when climate change is threatening livelihoods.
“It is the only way out, we should come up with climate change adaptation production methods,” he said.
Emmanuel Kisangau, the county executive in-charge of agriculture in Kitui, holds similar views. “There are viable options to attain food security in the country. Currently, we are doing climate sensitive farming,” he said during an interview.
Kitui , in partnership with the KRCS, launched the green gram or “Ndengu Revolution” last year.
Around 184,000 residents were given certified green gram seeds to cultivate during the 2017 October-December short rains.
Although some of the residents harvested little than expected or none, others had a bumper harvest. “We distributed pesticides at the same time. Despite the fact that we have very fertile soil, our main challenge is water,” he said.Farmers harvested an estimated 15,000 tonnes of green grams, he said. But others in Mwingi North, Mwingi Central, Mwingi West and Kitui South failed to harvest as much because it rained for only nine days, said the CEC member. As a result, at least Sh1 billion was injected in the county, after farmers sold their harvest, he added.
The county and the KRCS created market linkages for farmers; several days ago, the national government through the National Youth Service (NYS) came on board to buy the commodity from farmers. According to Mr Kisangau, these market linkages will keep at bay brokers who for a long time have exploited farmers in the region.
“The government is buying a kilo at Sh85, way above the Sh84 Indian merchants are offering. We are not afraid that the Indian market has been closed to us because we have a big market for legumes in the country,” he said. The county is distributing high quality seeds to 50,000 farmers during this rainy season, especially those who did not harvest anything during the last season.Farmers who harvested last season were requested to plant seeds from the harvest since it is possible to recycle seeds three times before the quality goes down, he said.
“It is a move in the right direction, we believe that farmers must be supported to come out of poverty,” said the minister.
The “revolution” has attracted other county governments. In partnership with KRCS, Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties introduced the project in the regions.
The KRC donated 50,000 kilos of green gram seeds while the county government gave farmers 75,000 kilogrames of the seeds.
In Tharaka Nithi, the KRCS donated 25,000 kilogrammes, the county government donated 21,000 kilogrammess while the national government donated 10,000 kilogrammes to farmers.
“Ndengu” is resistant to drought compared to maize or other food crops, and perhaps that is why it is the most preferred in bid to create food sustainability in ASALs.
The society looks forward to introducing the revolution in Makueni, Machakos and Kirinyaga, said Mr Muli. “Different places will have different approaches so as to ensure that there is food sufficiency. These approaches need to be tailor-made to suit different people depending on their traditions and culture,” he said.
But irrigation agriculture should play a major role in this, “If there is serious investment in this line (creating food security), we will start to see a positive change in the next two years. We should avoid temporary measures to curb food insecurity, there must be an attitude change,” said Mr Muli. It is perhaps along this line that Kitui County Government is expected to set aside at least Sh1.5 billion in the next financial year (2018/2019) for agriculture, water and livestock, said Mr Kisangau.
“Climate change has been here for a while. We cannot be dictated to by it, we have an ability to chart our way out. Perhaps we may ask ourselves, what we are doing about water harvesting,” said KRCS general secretary Abbas Gullet in a previous conference.
