Over fifty percent of locals in North Pokot Sub County have migrated from their homes and moved to Uganda in search of food, water, and pasture. North Pokot Sub County is among the most drought-affected areas in the county.
A spot check in villages along Kenya-Uganda border showed that many locals have moved to look for food and water.
Residents have called on the national government to support the county government in mitigating a situation that is now turning to be a crisis.
Speaking during relief food distribution by the county government, Kiwawa location chief Mr. Moses Samal said that Kiwawa and Alale wards are the most hit areas with women and children the most affected.
“Our people are in dire need of food and the situation is getting out of hand,” said Samal.
He said children under the age of 10 have been affected by malnutrition due to lack of food and poor sanitation.
Chief Samal said most of the water sources have dried up and the residents have to walk for long distances to get water which he says is not safe for human consumption.
“All the water pans in this place have dried up and it’s hard for our livestock to get water,” he said.
Local leaders led by Rev. John Lodinyo called on the government to distribute more relief food to the affected families as the drought continues to hit the area.
“We urge the government to distribute more food in the affected areas to ensure that no one dies of hunger,” he said.
Lodinyo thanked the county government for the great effort they’ve made to save lives but asked the Ministry of Devolution to help the residents, especially with water. “We call on other donors and the national government to help in distributing food,” he said.
However, IEBC officials in the area said the turn up for voter registration is very low.
The county government has already launched a food distribution programme with more than 6000 bags of maize and other food stuff to cushion residents from the acute hunger.
