The corpses of goats and sheep spread across the scrubland of northern Kenya are testament to the destruction wrought by the once-in-a-generation floods that have hit the region due to floods and cold in Northern Kenya.
According to the senior government official at the North Horr Constituency, “Roba Koto” from just one area of Marsabit Country, drifters lost nearly 20,000 goats and sheep after the heavy rain fell last week.
Heavy rains were significantly colder than any other rain, with strong winds blowing through the normally semi-dry pasturelands.
Mamo Conchola, a Gabra livestock breeder, could not able to do anything in order to save their last remaining goat from his horde, lie down and die.
Another nearby drifter, Guyo Gufu, stood helpless and could not save his 350 goats who died after the thunderstorm.
According to his perspective, “The goats I have were the source of income we have and dependant on to butchery, eat, and sell. Now I have no means.”
As per the Kenyan Meteorological Bureau, some parts of Marsabit had 90mm of rainfall last week. This is almost twice the daily amount classified as heavy rain.
Similar rain last hit the area in 1998, said the agency.
According to local manager Koro, the floods followed the drought from October to December, weakening the pack.
The drought did not only dried the ground but also made it difficult for the animals to survive and also became thin and unsold. More than 2 million people there struggled to find enough food.
According to the US government agency Famine Early Warning System Network, this is the third successive rain of the season in eastern and northern Kenya, where livestock farming is the primary source of income.
According to experts, climate change is expected to boost the frequency and severity of such droughts.