Why Droughts Continue to Hit the People in the Ikanga-Kyatune Ward Hard

For long, droughts have continued to be rated to bring the most risk to the people of the semi-arid Ikanga/Kyatune ward area of Kitui County, Kenya. The resultant effects are manifested in disruptions in water supply, food availability and significant economic losses. This study was set to find out how people live in drought, its frequency, severity and existing and potential measures to alleviate the associated challenges. Focus group discussions using structured questionnaires were employed to guide the debate that brought together 90 household heads and local opinion leaders, and 10 key informants drawn from policy implementers and livelihoods extension personnel from the government and non-governmental organizations. The obtained data was subjected to deceptive statistics. The overall finding was that individuals and households continue to suffer heightened vulnerability to drought as a result of a combination of factors that compound in social, economic, environmental and political conditions. The genesis of the challenge was found to be the absence of proactive and sustainable drought planning and taking of mitigation strategies which leaves individuals and households highly vulnerable. The situation is aggravated by lack of adequate infrastructures, population growth and climate change which puts pressure on the limited and fragile resources. The study recommends community and stakeholders embracement of appropriate and sustainable planning and monitoring on droughts, and onboarding mitigation measures as part of measures to reduce the bites of the two weather calamities.

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