Drought Blamed in Elephant Deaths

Highlights from an article in the Daily Nation
Kenya: Puzzle of 40 Elephant Deaths as Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) Blames Drought

The drought currently ravaging the country has not spared wildlife especially in Northern Kenya. In the past two months, over 40 elephants have died in Laikipia, Isiolo and Samburu districts in what was initially thought to be a disease outbreak. KWS officials fear that if it does not rain soon, more may die due to malnutrition.

The affliction is mostly affecting elephants aged between two and eight years, leading to conclusions that they are unable to get enough feed. "Young elephants are unable to keep up the pace with their mothers while grazing. They are also not able to browse tall trees which are the only source of food left." An adult elephant consumes about 300kg (661 pounds) of food daily.

Laikipia has the largest number of wildlife outside national parks in the country. The animals roam freely in the plateau and compete for fodder with livestock. According to a census done by KWS last year, there are slightly over 7,000 elephants in the Laikipia, Samburu and Isiolo ecosystems. In the past few months, however, the ground has been left bare by domestic animals that have been driven into the region by pastoralists migrating from Samburu and Isiolo in search of pasture. The herdsmen with over 100,000 animals are now grazing in Mt Kenya.

IYAP (Isiolo Youth Against Aids and Poverty)

My friends at IYAP, who run an HIV/AIDS VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) Center as well as many community programs, are highlighted in two posts in the blog: HIV In Kenya.

You can read the posts about Isiolo and the services that IYAP are providing, including an all night testing service that highlights testing for sex workers and those out and about at night, here:
Moonlighting in Isiolo

Christiane Amanpour in Isiolo: Pepo La Tumaini

Pepo La Tumaini Jangwani (Wind of Hope in the Desert) is a CBO in Isiolo serving the needs of those infected and affected by HIV. They've been serving the Isiolo community for more than a decade, one of the first CBO's to begin addressing HIV and its root causes.

It's a controversial CBO in Isiolo Town, with plenty of people claiming that Khadija Rama, who runs the CBO, is pocketing all of the funding, though mostly it seems this is pure jealousy (since as can be seen below in the CNN video, Khadija does gain international attention) or dislike of the woman herself and the work that she is doing (the rumors often eminate from men).

There was one young boy at the deaf school who was found to be infected with HIV (this was close to when I was returning to America). The teachers at the school approached Pepo La Tumaini about the boy living there so he could receive care as he was falling ill quite often (while allowing the boy to still attend classes at the deaf school when possible--to continue learning sign language). Pepo La Tumaini said they would be wiling to accept the boy. I had asked around town if there were other opportunities for the boy to receive treatment and care, but no other CBO had funding for this, so to hear that Pepo La Tumaini was going to accept him made all of us at the school very happy. Unfortunately the story had a sad ending as the father refused to allow him to move to Pepo La Tumaini, but instead removed him from school and returned with him to the village a few hours outside of Isiolo town. This was, in effect, a death sentence.

So although every story doesn't have a happy ending, indeed most of the families Pepo La Tumaini work with don't have happy endings (how can you when dealing with HIV/AIDS?), but have, instead, small triumphs and successes, the work they do is necessary and important.

To find out more:
The homepage from Denmark: Wind of Hope
An article from IPS news: A Wind of Hope in Kenya's Desert
An article from Hope for African Children: Pepo La Tumaini Community AIDS Project
You can view some photos here: Fotosearch
View the CNN report:

Video from KTN About Isiolo Clashes (In Kiswahili)

Local Politicians Fueling Clashes in Isiolo?

An article in the Daily Nation reports that a local politician has been questioned in relation to the recent clashes in Gombela and Isiolo town.

Top Politician Linked to Isiolo Violence
"On Monday, local leaders and the provincial administration linked a fresh outbreak of violence in the area to politics. District Commissioner James Kamau said politicians were taking sides in the conflict and the government was investigating their activities."

The question becomes: What happens now? If politicians are removed from the equation (and one must question the involvement of MP Kuti in this) it does not alone solve the whole problem. Yes it is an important step removing the politics, but the tribes are still well equipped with guns, and land and water problems are increasing.

One can only wonder: Will Kenya one day face the challenge of what to do with pastoralists?

Conflicts Around Kenya Influencing Isiolo: Pokot

Conflicts within Kenya have existed for as long as Kenya has been a country, but the current rash of conflicts and problems across the country seems to hint at a government that is struggling to cope with disillusioned wananchi (citizens), fed up with bad governance, endless corruption, and policies that delay solving problems that have been hanging around since Independence and those new ones that are arising.

Here's a review of one of the current problems and how it affect the Isiolo area:
The Turkana-Pokot-Samburu conflicts in Turkana District and Western Laikipia.

Kenyan Pundit writes:
The Samburu return to Western Lakipia was slow and steady and remarkably peaceful but by the mid 1990s there were a number of Government led initiatives to burn Samburu houses and bomas and force them to go back North and East. None of these efforts to move the Samburu was very effective.

In the mid 1990’s large numbers of Pokot and their cattle also moved onto western Laikipia where for several years they coexisted peacefully as, Latia, neighbors, with only minor exchanges of small stock theft. But at that time the Pokot were carrying out increasingly effective cattle raids against the Turkana in South Turkana district... At that time guns and ammunitions were being sold to both sides to speed up the incentive for both Turkana and Pokot to step up their cattle raiding to both steal and recover from raids on both sides.

It took nearly twenty years but the Pokots with greater access to political protection and power vastly reduced the herds held by the Turkana. The bulk of the Turkana poulation was driven into towns. The raids of the Samburu by Pokot were initiated in the very late 1990s as Turkana was destocked and attention shifted from raiding Turkana to raiding Western Samburu.

The Pokot boasted that they would “urbanize the Samburu” the same way they drove the Turkana off their range lands. The past 3-4 years have been devastating to Samburu cattle herds with at least 11,000 herd being driven off by Pokot raiders without significant recovery or compensation. The raids are often described as reciprocal, mutual and traditional but in fact these days successful large scale cattle raiders require partnering with individuals who can support the raids with State Power.

Read the full article at: Historical context of Isiolo/Samburu raids/violence

Pokot raiders and cattle rustlers have had a very negative impact on the Samburu in Western Laikipia and Samburu District. Loss of their herds forces them (in traditional ideaology where having large herds is of upmost importance) to become increasingly involved in cattle raids of their own to rebuild their herds. This is detrimental to the security in Western Laikipia and Isiolo District. However, it is the fact that the Pokot are State Sponsored that is most troubling!

More recently, the Boran in Isiolo District, with the blessing of MP Kuti and President Kibaki, were given nearly 300 automatic guns to serve as "home gaurds" to protect the Boran herds, though they have since been accused of using the guns in raids on Samburu and Turkana herds.

With the Samburu trapped in-between two State Sponsored tribes, the Pokot and the Boran, what do you expect their reaction to be?

The fact that the Turkana near Isiolo (who have mostly small herds and do not control large swaths of land) have become involved and siding with the Samburu tells me that Boran and Somali aggression in Isiolo District has become intolerable and a threat to their land and life.

Clashes In Isiolo Town and Gombela

I just talked with a few friends in Isiolo who verified the following information about the clashes in Isiolo.

There were two people killed in Isiolo town after receiving news of the Gombela village killings. The two people were killed in Chechelesi estate, located near the Isiolo District Hospital at the edge of Isiolo town heading towards Gombela.

This followed the deaths of six Borans in Gombela village by Turkana raiders on Friday. Friday afternoon Isiolo town was, "in chaos". People were throwing rocks and clashing with police. Since then things have "cooled down". "Vita imestop." There are GSU and Administrative police patrolling town. "Security is beefed up seriously." There are also many police in Archers Post.

Most of the schools surrounding Isiolo town have been closed, including: Daaba, Ahremet, Gombela, Kisimaa, Rhamadani, Kampi ya Juu, and Kilimani (there may be others). Ngare Mara school is still open as well as all of the schools in Isiolo town including the School for the Deaf at the outskirts of town.

Here are three articles about the clashes in Isiolo Town and Gombela.

This article from AllAfrica.com is well written and well informed.
Kenya: Resource Battle Kills 20 in North

This article is from the Daily Nation
Two More Die in Pasture Row

Here's another article, not quite as accurate, from The Standard.
Ten feared dead, others flee as Isiolo skirmishes escalate

Cholera Increasing in Isiolo and Surrounding Areas

As if Isiolo and surrounding areas don't have enough problems, it is estimated that the number of cases of cholera will continue to rise as the drought continues. This, coupled with food shortages and the destabilizing effect of guns and violence, looks to forecast a very dreary next six months (if not longer if the short rains fail!) for residents. It is also, as one NGO told me, again moving the community away from development and into crisis managment!

An article by IRIN (humanitarian news and analysis):
Water Shortage Increases Cholera Toll

An article dated 17/06/09 in The Standard.
Three more die of cholera as Isiolo toll hits 23

About Isiolo, Kenya

Isiolo is a small but cosmopolitan town located in Isiolo District, just north of Mt. Kenya, in a semi-arid landscape. It is competitively located nearly halfway between Meru town and Nanyuki, connecting the formerly British titled NFD (Norther Frontier District), now the upper-reaches of Eastern and North Eastern Provinces, with the more modernized/westernized Central and Eastern provinces. As some Kenyans say, "Once you've reached Isiolo you've finally entered Kenya." From Isiolo it is only a short four hour bus ride to Nairobi City Centre.

Isiolo hosts a mix of tribes including: Boran, Somali, Turkana, Samburu and Rendille (all traditional pastoralists) and the Meru (agro-business), with a number of other tribes from all over Kenya also being present (due to military bases located in the vicinity). The town is nearly half Christian and half Muslim.

Isiolo is surrounded by three National Parks: Samburu, Shaba and Buffalo Springs, as well as Lewa Downs Conservancy and Il Ngwesi and is known for its natural beauty and abundance of wildlife. It has been targeted in Kenya's Vision 2030 plan as a high-end tourist resort city complete with an international airport, casinos, and an increased number of safari lodges.

Isiolo has a long history of conflict usually due to traditional battles over grazing lands and water rights, though all too often inflamed or encouraged by local politicians, including the tribal clashes of 2002.