Four successive failed rain seasons and predicted suppressed rainfall in a fifth rainy season have left more than 4.3 million people in danger of starvation.
Experts attribute these suppressed rains to the adverse effects of climate change that if left unchecked, will leave even more people exposed to hunger and famine.
While speaking during an early morning hike on the slopes of Mt Kenya and on the sidelines of the ongoing Inaugural Retreat for Cabinet and Senior Ranks of the Executive, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said that Kenyans need to join hands and do everything possible to slow down and eventually halt the effects of climate change.
“We must all play our part in combating climate change. We must double our efforts to protect our environment,” the Deputy President said.
He was speaking on the banks of River Rikki, whose waters have significantly receded in the recent past as a result of reduced rainfall and the receding of the glaciers on Mt Kenya, which have over the years, played a significant role in feeding rivers around the crucial Mt. Kenya water catchment area.
He said the Kenya Kwanza Government remains keen on restoring the country’s catchment and protected areas.
“Even as we pray for divine intervention, we will do what we must,” DP Gachagua said.
“President William Ruto has directed that we plant 15 billion trees by the year 2030, so we must play our part.” He added.
Barely months after the Climate Change Conference (COP 27) that was held in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh, President William Ruto’s administration made a policy decision to have sustainable solutions to the effects of climate change such as the perennial droughts experienced around the country and the Horn of Africa region.
“We cannot deal with drought as an emergency. We must have sustainable solutions to this. We will build dams and pans so that we can move away from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation,” he said.
“The ministry of Water and Irrigation is already working to set up over 30 dams as a sustainable intervention to combat the effects of climate change.” The DP added.
Over four million Kenyans are in dire need of food following a severe drought that has hit close to half of the counties.
The drought has been occasioned by failed rainfall over the last four years with fears that a similar pattern will be seen this year.
“We really want to appeal to humanity that even as we seek God’s intervention, we have a big role to play and we cannot wish away the effects of climate change. It can wipe out entire continents,” he said.