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Drought May Stop People From Northern Kenya From Voting

SK 2 years ago 1 min read

Some herders may have to forgo voting in the elections scheduled for August 9 due to the extreme drought that has driven them to travel hundreds of kilometers in search of pasture and water.

Voting is less important to them than attempting to preserve their way of life and animals.

“The problem is that our pastoralists have gone very far to look for pasture… They will not get a chance of coming back to vote,” said Paul Paradisi, administrator of Koiting Location in Samburu County with about 6,800 residents.

Four million people in Kenya are currently experiencing severe food shortages due to inadequate rainfall, and child malnutrition cases have increased by 50% in some regions of the nation.

The government and Kenya Red Cross would spend about Ksh. 24 million ($202,190) to purchase livestock for slaughter in Samburu County in order to lessen the damage.

After the animals are killed, the meat will be returned to the herders.

Mother of eight from Koiting Location, Mary Yanaiyo, told Reuters that because the rains had failed and food prices had risen sharply, people were suffering.

“The children went to graze the cows far away and we don’t know when they will come back,” she said, as government officials and Red Cross personnel distributed meat behind her.

Kenya holds presidential, parliamentary and local government elections on Aug. 9.