Drought pushes Baringo learners out of school

The long dry spell in the arid and semi-arid areas in Baringo County has paralysed learning, with thousands of children keeping off school.

Water sources and vegetation have dried up, forcing families to migrate with their school-going children in search of resources for their livestock.

Nation.Africa has established that many families in the pastoralist community have migrated to Kerio Valley, while others moved to Mukeluk, Akule, Lomut, and Masol areas in the neighbouring West Pokot and Samburu counties.

Others have moved to as far as Uganda, where they can easily access food and water for their livestock.

Schools, where enrolment of learners has dropped since re-opening in January, include Chesotim, Ng’aina, Toplen, Kapau, Kongor, Sukut, Embositit, Nasorot primary schools, and Katagh, and Loyamoi ECDE centres.

Also hard-hit are Chepkalacha, Kositei Katikit, Chemisik, Makany, Chesotim, Korelach, Lotita, Lodengo, Kakapul, Nasorot, Napeikore Toplen, Akwichatis, Riong’o, Loiwat, Chesirimon, Toplen, Nakoko, Krese, Chesakam, Chemoril, Chesirimion, Nalekat and Donyasas primary schools.

Residents say the only rivers they depend on for water have dried up, forcing them to look for water many kilometres away.

Major rivers such as Nginyang’, Akwichatis, Kositei, Kasitit, Chemsik, Kaptobokwo, and Mukur, which were a lifeline to locals, have already dried up.

People spend hours searching for water, denying them an opportunity to attend to other activities.

In Tiaty West, head teachers are concerned that although they were provided with food aid from the government, there is no water for drinking and cooking.

Tilingwo Primary School head teacher Franklin Lomatong said the number of pupils in the institution has drastically dropped since schools re-opened in January.

He said locals have moved to Kerio Valley where they can easily get water for their livestock and for domestic use.

“We were provided with food by the government, but there is no water. Water pans and seasonal rivers here have dried up completely. This has forced locals to migrate to Kerio Valley, and they also moved with their school-going children, paralysing learning,” said Mr Lomatong.

The population of learners at his school has reduced to 259 this week, from 307 in January.

“The situation may worsen if the rains delay. Locals here depend on livestock keeping as their only source of livelihood and during such seasons, they are forced to move to other areas in search of pasture and water for their livestock. The only remedy is to construct boarding schools to boost retention of learners,” added the school head.

At Donyasas Primary School, headteacher Mathew Chesire said the population of learners has reduced from 80 in January to barely 20 pupils this week.

“Villages here are deserted as many people have migrated to Seretion, Katikit, and Loyamorok. The few learners who come to school mostly come to get food, not necessarily learning. The vegetation here has dried up and if the rains delay, we fear most pupils may not return to school this term,” said Mr Chesire.

At Cheptunoyo Primary, herders have flocked to the institution to get the food rations meant for learners through the school feeding programme, head teacher Christine Keter said.

“We have food, but I fear it will not last until the end of term. The situation at my school is different because herders come in the morning and stay in school until the afternoon waiting for lunch. You cannot chase them away because they mingle with pupils in class,” said Ms Keter.

Tiaty East Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) coordinator, Osman Lotiren, confirmed that learning has been paralysed in most schools, with the worst hit being the pre-primary and lower primary classes.

“This is a pastoralist community that exclusively relies on livestock keeping. When pasture and water get depleted due to dry spells, they are forced to migrate to other areas,” he said.

“This impacts negatively on learning because they are forced to move with their children, until the onset of the long rains. As we speak, there is low enrolment in several schools in this region and we fear that if the rains don’t start early, then learning will be paralyzed in most of the schools this term,” said Mr Lotiren.

He cited Silale, Naudo, Riong’o, Loyamorok, Napukut, Nasorot, Akwichatis, Makal, Natan, Nakoko, and Lokauka villages as among the worst-hit.

Tiaty East Deputy County Commissioner, Samuel Gichohi, said the drought has forced parents to migrate with their school-going children to other areas, threatening enrollment and retention of learners in affected schools.

He fears that whenever they move, a large number never report back when normalcy returns, and girls end up being married off while boys are turned into herdsboys.

“The situation sometimes is also aggravated by illiterate parents who don’t see the need to take their children to school.

“During drought, we have very few children in schools in this region because most of them migrate with their parents. The situation is worse when there is no food in school to woo learners,” explained Mr Gichohi.