Kajiado residents are staring at starvation once more as the crops they planted during the March-May long rains season wither as rainfall fails for the fifth year in a row.
The disappointed residents say that this is the fifth time they are witnessing losses due to failed rainfall.
“I had planted maize and beans on my 3-acre farm and it is unfortunate that I won’t harvest maize even after buying 20 kilograms of seedlings at a cost of Sh 620 per kilo,” said Meshack Leshan, a farmer in Oloorsirkon Sholinke ward.
Though he is grateful that he has harvested about 15 Kilograms of beans unlike the previous four seasons when he harvested nothing, he was targeting to harvest at least 70 kilograms.
In a bid to save the maize, Leshan bought a generator and water sprinkler to boost his harvest but his efforts ended up in futility as the cold weather set in and his solar-powered borehole could not pump adequate water due to inadequate sunrays to power the solar system.
“I wanted my family to be food secure but the maize is a loss now as it is drying up in the shamba. I am thinking of feeding them to my cows so I can save on the little pasture I have for now instead of letting them rot in the farm Said Leshan.
He is urging the government to fast-track the construction of the proposed Olooloitikoshi mega dam so that they can practice irrigation as the rains have for five consecutive years.
Another disgruntled farmer in Empatipat, Kaputiei North Ward, Mary Naeku says hers is a total loss as both the maize and beans she planted have all dried up.
She points out that the area only received rainfall for two weeks during the onset of the rains.
“We only got two weeks of rainfall which was still inadequate. The maize and beans that we had planted sprouted but withered due to the lack of rain. Even our sheep and cows have never relocated back home since we moved them to Kenyawa Poka ward last year in search of water and pasture,” said Naeku
The devastated farmers remark that it is unfortunate that they have to keep depending on the government for relief food.
“It is a pity that we have to depend on the government for relief food in order to survive. In as much as we are appealing for relief food, we are also urging the government to construct dams and provide us with drought-resistant seedlings so that we can harvest crops with little rainfall,” remarked,” Naeku.
In a spot check by KNA in the Isinya sub-county, areas of Oloorsirkon Sholinke and Kitengela wards received average rainfall while some areas of Kaputiei North Ward like Empuyiankat, Ilpolosat, and Isalankeni did not receive any rainfall at all.
In Kitengela town, a two-kilogram packet of maize meal is retailing between Sh.230-Sh.250 at the supermarkets while it goes for 180 shillings at the posho mill.
The prices of other foodstuffs like beans and peas have come down with half a kg of peas retailing at Sh 100 down from Sh 300 while 1 kg of yellow beans variety has dropped from Sh 200 to 150.
By Diana Meneto
