Siren over drought situation.

Drought situation in Kenya is worsening and the president has a few hours ago declared the drought a national disaster. In his speech the president blamed the drought on failure of short rains, effects of the post-election violence which affected the planting season, global energy crisis which has fueled high prices of fertilizers and global food crisis which has incapacitated thousands to afford food prices.

The president noted that drought situation had resulted in shortfall of 10 million bags resulting in further reduction of National grain reserves by 3.3million bags.

While underlining the impact of global food crisis, the president noted that 'staple foods of most Kenyans have risen sharply in one year...affecting the poorest'.

He lamented that 10 million Kenyans face starvation and urgently need emergency support and made an appeal while emphasizing that 'between now and August 2009 people will not be able to meet minimum food requirements'.

'my government will not tolerate the actions of unscrupulous traders sacrificing people livelihood at altar of private gain of few people' said the president in his concluding warning to business cartels manipulating food chain in Kenya.

Kenya has been facing series of crisis one after the other. Its only in December 2007 after the disputed general election that violence broke out killing 1,200 people and displacing more than 300,000 people. Kenya also records the a wider gap between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. In almost all crisis, its women and children who suffer most the consequences of delayed mitigation.

My recent visit to drought stricken areas of Ukambani, Makindu, Kutui (all in the eastern parts of Kenya) left me wondering how delayed actions can quickly trigger emergency. women travel 10 kilometers every morning to fetch water. such lone journey(s) demand that they rise-up as early as 3am or 4am in lucky cases if they expect to have their children eat breakfast before school. One woman narrated to me how she was raped by a gang of men while on such trips; ruining her life and infecting her with the deadly HIV virus.

Provision of water for all would avert GBV and ensure irrigation in dry areas prone to drought. Crop failure will be a thing of the past and human suffering buried in the 'forgotten grave'.