SAMBURU DISTRICT SHORT RAINS ASSESSMENT 2006 26 - 31 JANUARY 2006 Assessment Team: Sammy Maritim Ministry of Water and Irrigation Mary Mwale Ministry of Agriculture James Kamunge World Food Program
SAMBURU DISTRICT
SHORT RAINS ASSESSMENT 2006
26 - 31 JANUARY 2006
Assessment Team:
Sammy Maritim Ministry of Water and Irrigation
Mary Mwale Ministry of Agriculture
James Kamunge World Food Program
Samburu District, 2006 Short Rains Assessment
Disclaimer: The recommendations of the National Assessment Teams are tentative and subject to the
approval of the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG).
2
3.0 PROVISIONALFOOD AID RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SAMBURU
DISTRICT
3.1 Summary of Recommendations
Rationale for Emergency Food and Non-Food Recommendations
The recommendations of the team were based on the impact of the short rains on food
security indicators, coping strategies to access food or prevent starvation and the on-
going interventions at the district level.
Coping strategies
The current drought stress has caused the communities in the district to resort to the
following coping mechanisms:
• Reduction of meal size (porridge) and one meal per day,
• Slaughter of weak animals
• Consumption of dead livestock
• Distress sales of Livestock,
• Prostitution
• Petty trade especially local brews.
• Child labour(girls as house maids and boys as herders)
• Migration in search of pasture,
• Permanent out migration from settlement
• Charcoal burning and fire wood selling for those near urban centers,
• Killing of calves to safe mothers
• Sharing of relief food,
• consumption of livestock blood,
• docking(cutting of tail) for consumption of adult sheep
• Sand harvesting near major town centers,
• Cooking and eating of Lordo leaves, eating of wild fruits
• Eating of game meat e.g., Antelopes, zebras, Tortoise
• Remittances
•
Rationale for increased Food Aid
1. Long rains in 2005 was below normal and lead to very poor pasture and
browse regeneration.
2. Total failure of 2005 Short rains.
3. Livestock especially cattle have migrated to far away from the
settlements( Some to Mount Kenya, Abadares, Suguta Valley in Turkana,
Kapendo in Baringo and to hills and plateaus in the district.
4. Calving, Kinding and Lambing has decreased significantly and hence milk
production has reduced to almost nil.
5. Reduced purchasing power of pastoralists due to poor livestock prices
caused by poor body conditions, high supply of livestock to markets, few
livestock buyers/traders.
6. limitedwild fruits due to the drought.
Samburu District, 2006 Short Rains Assessment
Disclaimer: The recommendations of the National Assessment Teams are tentative and subject to the
approval of the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG).
3
7. High malnutrition rates
8. Increased distress coping mechanisms
3.1.1 Food Interventions
An emergency food intervention is recommended targeting 50-60 % of the
populations in the pastoral livelihood zones in the district. Until July 2006. No food
aid is recommended for the Agro-Pastoral LZs in Kirisia and Lorroki Divisions.
Agro-pastoral areas had a good harvest of maize and beans during the 2005 Long
rains.
The food aid should be inform of GFD, the district could change to FFW if the if the
rains come on time (early April 2006). This is important especially for Baragoi and
Nyiro divisions where FFW activities was stopped by DSG (due to high levels of
food insecurity) in December 2005 before completion of projects that they started.
Food Aid Interventions
3.1.2.1 Emergency Non-Food Interventions
a) Agricultural seeds
Promotion of drought resistant crops in Agro-pastoral LZs is practiced the district and do
not have seeds to plant in the coming long rains season. Crops seed is recommended to
assist these farmers start of.
b) Livestock Off-take
Animal conditions are fair to good. The livestock body conditions are expected to
deteriorate as the dry spell progresses. The farmers fear that some of the weak animals
may succumb to drought and livestock diseases in the district. The district would like to
de-stock 6000 cattle, 60000 goats and sheep that are at the risk of dying from drought at a
cost of KShs 26.5 million.
c) Livestock Vaccinations.
Division Vulner
ability
Rankin
g of
division
Food
Insecurity
Range of
%
populatio
n
Requirin
g Food
aid
Locations Possib
le
Food
ration
Possible Non Food Interventions
See below table for other Non Food
interventions
Nyiro 1 High 50-60 All 75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July
Waso 2 High 50-60 All 75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July
Baragoi 3 High 50-60 All 75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July
Wamba 4 High 50-60 All 75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July
Lorroki 5 Low in
Agropastora
l LZ
50-60 Kirimon
Lodokejek
Amaiya
75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July
Kirisia 6 Low in
Agro-
pastoral LZ
50-60 Barsaloi
Lbukoi
Opiroi
75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July
Samburu District, 2006 Short Rains Assessment
Disclaimer: The recommendations of the National Assessment Teams are tentative and subject to the
approval of the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG).
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Comprehensive Livestock vaccination campaign against Anthrax in Wamba division
should be carried out as an emergency at a cost of KSHs.500,000/=.
d) Disease surveillance
Intensify diseases surveillance along the grazing regions and extension services on
effective control of tick borne diseases and other livestock diseases to save herders from
high livestock losses.
e)Water tankering
Provision of 2-additional water tankers for water trucking to 14 water stress areas.
3.1.2.2 Long Term Non-Food Interventions
• De-silting of water earth pans.
• Pasture seed provision.
3.1.3 Monitoring required
a) The onsets of the Long rains (March-May) need to be monitored. Delay of the
start of the rains could lead to more populations getting food insecure.
b) Monitoring of livestock diseases in grazing areas. An outbreak of notifiable
diseases could cause mass deaths of livestock concentrated in the grazing.
c) Nutritional status of the vulnerable groups children under five years.
d) Insecurity in the grazing areas.
Summary of Non-Food Interventions Type of
intervention
Activity Estimated
Costs (Ksh)
Comments
Emergency Intervention
1 Seeds Maize –-----MT@ -------/Kg
Beans—-------MT@-------/Kg
Cowpeas—----MT@-------/Kg
Green-grams—---MT@-------
/Kg
Sorghum--------MT@-------/Kg
Pigeon peas---MT@-------/Kg
Supply of seeds before the onset of
long rains.
2 Livestock off-
take
Off-take of 6000 cattle, KShs
5,000 per animal, 60,000 goats
and sheep at KShs500
60M Targeted livestock in the district.
3 Intesification
of disease
surveillance.
Fuel and subsistence allowances
for 12 weeks
-------
Surveillance to detect outbreak of
notifiable diseases. High incidences of
livestock diseases and deaths in the
grazing areas.
4 Vaccinations
against
Anthrax
20,000 doses of Blanthrax
vaccine
Logistical support
300,000
192,000
Doses for
20,000 cattle in Wamba division
5 Water
tankering
Fuel,, fast moving spare parts
and allowances.
2.175M Provision of domestic water to 14
stress areas.
6 Fuel subsidy 28-Water boreholes 2.13M Assist in running of water supplies.
Long Term Interventions
1 Planting of
pasture seeds
Seed.
Check budget
----- To enhance pasture regeneration on
degraded land.
Samburu District, 2006 Short Rains Assessment
Disclaimer: The recommendations of the National Assessment Teams are tentative and subject to the
approval of the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG).
5
2 De-silting of ---
water pans and
earth dams
- ------------- Increase the capacity of the water pans.
3 Drilling
additional 4
boreholes
Drilling and Equipping strategic
boreholes.
12M Supplement water supply.