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Viewing cable 06NAIROBI2174, USAID/OFDA ASSESSMENT OF KENYA'S SAMBURU

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06NAIROBI2174 2006-05-18 06:17 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Nairobi
VZCZCXYZ0010
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNR #2174/01 1380617
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180617Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1787
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 6948
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 8529
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 1681
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4926
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3931
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS NAIROBI 002174 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/E, EPRATT 
USAID/W FOR AA/DCHA, WGARVELINK, LROGERS 
DCHA/OFDA FOR GGOTTLIEB, PMORRIS, CGOTTSCHALK, 
KCHANNELL 
DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, PMOHAN, DNELSON 
AFR/EA FOR JBORNS, JESCALONA 
USUN FOR EMALY 
ADDIS ABABA FOR JAUGSBURGER 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
ROME FOR FODAG 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NSC FOR JMELINE, TSHORTLEY 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID SO KE ET
SUBJECT:  USAID/OFDA ASSESSMENT OF KENYA'S SAMBURU 
DISTRICT 
 
 
Summary 
 
1.  Consistent rains over the past month have improved 
pasture and natural water points that are critical to 
the largely pastoralist population in Kenya's Samburu 
District.  However, according to district officials, 
ethnic conflict and cattle theft have displaced an 
estimated 20,000 people in the western part of the 
district, impeding humanitarian recovery after several 
months of dry conditions.  In addition, the UN 
Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports that malnutrition 
rates in Samburu are above emergency levels, and the 
local health care infrastructure is under resourced. 
Limited access to water in sufficient quantities for 
livestock and residents continues to hamper 
communities' livelihoods and developmental progress. 
USAID/OFDA has provided USD 792,000 to UNICEF for 
health, nutrition, and water activities, and recommends 
that a portion of these funds target emergency 
nutrition, health, and water improvements in Samburu 
District. End Summary. 
 
Current Situation 
 
2.  Samburu District is located in arid northwestern 
Kenya and mostly comprised of Massai and Samburu 
pastoralists, whose livelihoods depend on raising 
cattle and goats.  Twenty percent of the district's 
population engage in farming, and agriculture is 
concentrated in the western highland areas where corn 
and sorghum are commonly grown. Last season short rains 
were poor in the district and local officials estimate 
that at least 20 percent of livestock perished as a 
result of the dry conditions.  USAID supports general 
distributions to 63,000 food insecure people out of a 
total district population of 169,000, through the UN 
World Food program (WFP), and nutrition, immunization, 
and primary health care through UNICEF. 
 
3.  Samburu District is included in the Government of 
Kenya's (GOK) February 2006 Humanitarian Appeal for the 
drought emergency.  USAID/OFDA Regional Advisor and 
Information Officer traveled to Samburu on May 9 and 10 
to assess conditions in the district.  The team was 
accompanied by International Medical Corps' Country 
Director and a representative from the Arid Lands 
Resource Management Project (ALRMP), the GOK's early 
warning office. 
 
4.  Rains have fallen regularly in the district since 
mid-April, with parts of Samburu receiving 300 percent 
of normal rain levels for April, according to the 
USAID-supported Famine Early Warning System Network 
(FEWS NET) and US Geological Survey.  The USAID team 
noted that pasture is prevalent and natural water 
points are providing water for livestock and people. 
The Arid Lands Office reported water tankering activity 
has mostly been curtailed since the rains began.  The 
team saw several natural water pans with water being 
used by livestock. 
 
5.  Attacks from the neighboring Pokot tribes coincided 
with the start of rainfall in April.  According to 
district officials, raiding parties from West Pokot 
District have been responsible for the theft of several 
hundred cattle in Samburu and the death of an 
unconfirmed number of residents.  Local authorities 
attribute the attacks to "restocking" of cattle by 
pastoralists who lost a significant number of animals 
during the recent dry period. 
 
 
6.  District officials report that growing insecurity 
has forced an estimated 20,000 Samburu residents from 
their homes into the urban areas of Maralal and Kisimo. 
Although temporary shelters were seen by the assessment 
team, numbers were far below what would be needed to 
accommodate government estimates of 20,000 people 
displaced.  The Arid Lands Office claimed that a 
majority of the displaced had moved in with relatives. 
District police and GOK military have recently launched 
a campaign in the area to confiscate weapons in order 
to reduce the violence. 
 
7.  The displacement is said to be slowing Samburu's 
recovery process following several months of drought 
conditions.  The majority of those affected by 
insecurity live in the agricultural western areas of 
the district, and the violence is preventing them from 
planting and tending agricultural fields normally 
planted during the current long rain planting season. 
 
Health and Nutrition Situation 
 
8.  In late March, UNICEF and the GOK Ministry of 
Health (MOH) completed a nutritional assessment in the 
district, which found 19.2 percent global acute 
malnutrition (GAM) and 2.3 percent severe acute 
malnutrition (SAM) in children under five.  Moreover, 
high rates of stunting (23.5 percent) among the under 
five population indicated an extended period of under 
nutrition. 
 
9.  The team visited health facilities in the district 
capital of Maralal town, and in rural areas, where the 
major morbidities for children are malaria, upper 
respiratory infections, and diarrheal diseases.  The 
Samburu District Public Health Nurse reported that 
latrine coverage is a low 5 percent and estimated 
immunization rates of 76 percent. 
 
10.  The assessment team found only two children in the 
Maralal District hospital being treated for 
malnutrition, and both cases were referrals from the 
rural areas.  The hospital had no trend data; however, 
the Public Health Nurse stated that they were treating 
an average of 10 to 12 cases per month.  Hospital staff 
suspected that many malnourished children in the rural 
areas remain undetected because parents do not 
recognize signs of malnutrition and only bring children 
in for treatment when other symptoms develop.  The 
nurse concluded that better outreach and education are 
needed regarding malnutrition. 
 
11.  According to the Public Health Nurse, it is normal 
to have an increase in malnutrition at this time of 
year, but noted that the situation is worse this year. 
Thus far, there have been no deaths due to 
malnutrition.  The USAID team observed that treatment 
protocols and medical supplies were in place at the 
hospital, which did not appear to be overwhelmed. 
However, hospital staff stated that deliveries of 
medicines from the Federal MOH are supposed to occur 
monthly, but are irregular.  The team visited two rural 
health posts and found no malnourished children. 
 
Continuing Water Shortages 
 
12.  The lack of water was highlighted by local 
government and beneficiaries as the major contributor 
to a decline in humanitarian indicators.  In the 
eastern lowlands of the district, many communities rely 
on tankered water from the government for the majority 
 
of the year.  Several boreholes visited by the team 
were inactive, and Arid Lands estimated that only 50 
percent of the district's 47 boreholes are fully 
functional.  The GOK has drilled several new boreholes 
in the east; however, it does not appear that funds are 
available to complete the projects with pumps, 
generators, or a distribution system.  The Arid lands 
Officer reported that the budget for water 
rehabilitation was limited to approximately USD 1,500 
per community, or enough to continue water tankering. 
 
Conclusions/Recommendations 
 
13.  Although rains have improved the situation in 
Samburu District, livestock and human populations will 
need time to recover from several months of extremely 
dry conditions.  General distributions of food rations 
to the most-affected residents should continue through 
July, or until the end of the current rain season.  The 
Arid Lands Office appealed to the GOK's Kenya Food 
Security Steering Group to increase the number of food 
aid beneficiaries from 63,000 to 120,000; however, no 
answer has yet been given. 
 
14.  Conflict and animal theft have disrupted normal 
planting activity and could reduce the harvest from 
this year's long rain planting season.  Although ethnic 
conflict and theft of animals is a traditional 
occurrence, it appears to be more acute this year.  The 
local police and military need to restore order quickly 
to allow those displaced to return home and resume 
their livelihoods. 
 
15.  Although there are seasonal rains twice a year in 
the eastern portion of the district, communities do 
little to harvest rainwater and continue to depend on 
water tankering for survival.  Boreholes are critical 
to the area during the two seasonal dry periods. 
Several of the boreholes in Samburu are either 
incomplete or dilapidated and may not be productive 
during the next dry season.  Local government has few 
resources to maintain the water infrastructure. 
 
16.  Access to water could be improved through support 
for rehabilitation of boreholes and rainwater 
harvesting schemes targeting rural health posts and 
schools through international NGOs working in the 
district.  In addition, improvement of nutrition status 
depends upon continued distributions from WFP, and 
targeted supplementary feeding programs from UNICEF. 
USAID/OFDA has provided USD 792,000 to UNICEF for 
health, nutrition, and water activities, a portion of 
which will support activities in Samburu District. 
USAID/OFDA will continue to monitor the humanitarian 
situation in the district.  BELLAMY