Irony of acute water shortage one month after heavy rainfall

A woman and her son collect water from a dry riverbed. Only a month ago, River Kawalasee burst its banks following heavy rains. [Joan Letting, Standard]

In April, River Kawalasee burst its banks, exposing graves and washing away caskets due to heavy rains.

The main highway, connecting Lodwar to South Sudan, was rendered impassable due to flooding.

More than 10,000 people in Soweto, Napetet, Kawalase, Nabute and Nakwalele and Loitaktok villages were displaced after their houses were destroyed by floods.

But in a sad turn of events, residents of Kawalasee village, situated a kilometre from Lodwar Town, are faced with a serious shortage of water, just a month after the heavy rains across the country.

This happening as residents of some regions are yet to return to their homes because their houses are still filled with flood waters.

Residents are now digging out drying river beds in search of the precious commodity.

Small patches of dirty water are the only things that remind residents it rained in the region no so long ago.

Using their hands and sticks, residents scoop out sand and allow water to collect in the resulting depressions.

They would then use plastic cup to scoop the water and pour it into jerrycans.

"Shortage of water is a problem residents of this area have faced for many years. The search for water is an everyday struggle for us.

"We only hope that some day, we will get piped water so we can focus our energies on other profit-making ventures,” said Ajikon Selina, a resident.

After elections

She said politicians have been promising them piped water only for them to disappear after elections.

Jane Akiru said they were forced to wake up as early as 6am to fetch water from holes dug on the dry riverbed. She said filling a 20-litre jerrycan takes hours.

"You have to be there early to dig a hole and wait for it to fill up with water from the soil. It is not easy to fill just one container and this delays everything you are doing," said Akiru yesterday.

However, Water Executive Emathe Namuar said they had developed a law to enhance access to water by residents.

The Turkana County Water and Sewerage Services Bill 2018 advocates for provision of clean and safe water in adequate quantities, and reasonable standards of sanitation.

It provides penalties to those polluting water sources.

It seeks to establish a water department, which will manage water resources as well as sewerage and sanitation services in the county.