Nearly two million people living in seven counties in the northern part of Kenya need urgent water supply.
Authorities in the region say the situation has reached a ‘crisis level’.
Northern Water Services Board (NWSB) Chief Executive officer Abdikadir Osman says Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit, Laikipia, Samburu, Isiolo and Mandera are facing the shortage due to the drought in the region.
He said NWSB has deployed water bowsers to transport water to herd who have moved to other regions in search for greener pastures.
“Some of the water bowsers are hired and they are still not enough to serve the residents. We are faced with logistical nightmare because the region is vast and herders have migrated to distant areas,” he said.
He added, “There is a lot of water stress in the region with some boreholes drying up,”
The region that is facing the acute water shortage hosts 70 per cent of livestock in Kenya, reports the Standard.
President Uhuru Kenyatta last week indicated that the government will double distribution of relief food, water to the affected areas.
He was speaking when he toured Marsabit town on Thursday.
“We have allocated to the kitty enough funds from other departments. No one is going to die because of hunger and no more livestock would die.”