By Kurgat Marindany
Kajiado County Governor Joseph Lenku’s taskforce formed to evaluate effects of the last drought in Kajiado County has put the livestock mortality at 232,400 head of cattle.
County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Agriculture and Livestock, Moses ole Narok, who is a member of the taskforce, said most of the cattle died while searching for pasture.
Narok put the cost of loss of cattle at Sh13, 944,000,000 owing to the fact an average cost of each cow is Sh60,000.
“The combined cost of intervention stood at Sh78, 048,000. This includes feed supplements, drugs, livestock, hay and transportation of water to hard-hit areas in Kajiado West region,” he noted.
“This does not include fuel subsidy for boreholes during the drought period,” he stated.
At the end of March, this year the Centre for Minority Rights Development and pastoralists community representatives held a press conference in Kajiado town and voice concern over increasing droughts and climate change associated challenges.
The various representatives of NGOs and CBOs present indicated a need for the affected counties to fast-track the enactment of county adaptation funds to cushion pastoralists during droughts.
The NGOs and CBOs in attendance included Centre for Minority Rights Development, Project Concern International, Neighbourhood Initiative Association, Friends of Pastoralists, Nasaru Women, Dupoto E Maa and Kenya Livestock Marketing Council.
While reading a statement at the end of the seminar, Juliana Nasaru said pastoralist in the country are at critical state in their lives, and are unsure of how they and their livelihoods would evolve in the light of climate change.
The convener of the seminar, Nyangori Ohenjo, said there has been a noticeable increase in the need for programmes, both policy and development actions that will increase the resilience levels of the pastoralist communities.