Over 15,000 residents from five locations in Tana Delta Sub County of Tana River County are faced with a major humanitarian crisis due to effects of climate change as River Tana water turned salty.
Residents who are mainly farmers, pastoralists and fishermen claim tides of the Sea have risen and are getting into the river causing high salinity levels that is affecting the fresh water sources.
The problem reportedly started over 20 years ago and is worsening each year as the water is now completely salty and not fit for farming, drinking for both humans and animals and fish stocks from the river have gone down.
Currently residents are forced to trek for over 20 kilometres to get fresh water and fear the disaster would worsen if action is not taken soon.
The affected locations are Chara, Kone Masa, Ozi, Kilelengwani and Dide Waride which are within the delta.
Journalists toured Kalota Brook and came face to face with the disaster, as the sea water flows deep into the river during high tides and since the area is flat with many river channels connecting to the Main River Tana, the salinity levels of the water have risen to an extent affecting livelihoods.
At Kalota Brook area where the sea water broke into the river, we found locals had teamed up to try to block the sea water using poles and traditional means of sand filled in sacks.
The problem reportedly started more than two decades ago and even former Environment CS Keriako Tobiko visited and assured residents there would be a permanent solution but nothing happened since 2019.
Hassan Galgalo, a resident of Chara who supported the volunteer resident building a temporary dyke with food, said it was impossible to plant trees in the area as the water is salty.
Speaking at Kalota, he said the problem is as a result of effects of climate change which has affected human beings, and animals.
He called on the County and National Government to build a big dyke to prevent the sea water from flowing to the river.
“Farming has been affected, residents of Ozi and Kilelengwani are rice farmers, while residents of Chara and Konemasa they do maize, watermelon, tomato and even rice but the challenges we are facing here now even fish stocks have gone down,” he said.
Joseph Owino, said they were taken to a seminar and experts said the problem can only be addressed when the sea water is blocked from flowing to the river.
Boneya Kone, a resident of Kone Masa, said the Tana River County government should invest in the climate change funds from the World Bank to address the problem.
Kone who claimed to be the chairman of Climate Change committee Kipini West Ward said there is more than Ksh. 122 million annually from the World Bank and wondered why the county cannot spend it to build a dyke.
“Please Governor, we pray that the funds even if it’s one financial year to be channelled to this disaster by building a dyke from Ozi all the way to Kibokoni,” Shirikisho said.
Bakombe, a resident Ozi said the disaster is worsening and called for humanitarian aid as they are not able to do farming, fishing, and livestock keeping due to the high-water salinity.
He said his family go for long distance to get fresh water which was a challenge and asked the government to come up with a permanent solution to address the problem.
“This is why we came here for the last 10 days voluntarily to try and block the sea water but we urge the Governor, MP, and MCA to intervene,” he said.
Yusuf Galicha a resident of Kalota said all Tana River leaders and President William Ruto should come to the aid of the residents.
Abiyo Ali said the fresh water has been affected by the saline of Sea water and no economic activity can be done.
