By Abdikadir Chari
Marsabit Municipality is racing against time to clear blocked drainage channels and stormwater systems ahead of the rainy season expected anytime.
Municipal Environment Officer Adhi Sora said most of the drainage channels were blocked by human activities, including indiscriminate dumping of waste.
Ms Sora spoke during the second day of a drainage-clearing exercise in Marsabit town.
“We are in the process of opening clogged drainage channels. We are working with our partners, SND Range Project and Mercy Corps, to ensure all our drainages are open,” she said.
She appealed to members of the public and the business community to dispose of waste appropriately.
Ms Sora said the Marsabit Municipality intends to extend the exercise across the sub-county, not only in preparation for the coming wet season but also to ensure that water draining into local pans remains clean.
She said the municipality, in partnership with stakeholders, was committed to restoring the image of the county headquarters as a “friendly place where we can live, invest and give our children and generations to come a better place.”
“Let’s adhere to the right mode of disposing of our waste. It is unfair to have a business environment where we declare profits and yet, behind the scenes, we are destroying the environment and not caring about our people,” she said.
Ms Sora also urged residents to plant more trees and promote environmental conservation, noting that the health and prosperity of the community were directly linked to the health of the environment.
“Trees play a crucial role in regulating our climate, purifying our air and water, and preventing soil erosion,” she said.
SND Range Project Crisis Modifier Officer Bonaya Diid Malla, whose organisation is taking the lead in clearing the drainage channels, cautioned residents against irresponsible disposal of waste, saying garbage dumped in drainage channels could worsen flooding and create health risks.
He urged young people to take the lead in promoting responsible waste management and educating the older generation on the importance of protecting the environment.
“I urge our young people to also take the initiative and educate our parents on the need to manage waste properly,” he said.
Mr Malla said SND Range Project, with its lead partner Mercy Corps, was set to roll out a mass livestock vaccination campaign in the county.
The initiative, according to him, aims to control livestock diseases, strengthen food security and protect rural livelihoods.
He said continuous livestock vaccination plays a major role in protecting animal health, reducing animal suffering and enabling efficient livestock production to feed the growing human population.
Mr Malla also revealed that the organisation would soon begin a livestock off-take programme in the county to help families that have been severely affected by drought.
He described drought, aggravated by climate change, as a major challenge to the development of semi-arid areas.
The officer said the fodder off-take programmes his organisation intends to roll out would shield farmers from soaring costs, protect livelihoods and strengthen long-term resilience among pastoralist communities.
“The programme will help protect rural livelihoods by sustaining livestock, which serve as both economic assets and a key source of nutrition, while shielding households from irreversible financial losses,” he said.
Community elder Boru Guyo commended Marsabit Municipality for its efforts in managing waste, saying the town was relatively clean compared with towns in other counties.
He said poor waste disposal could result in waste being swept into drainage systems, blocking water channels and increasing the risk of flooding during heavy rains.
He thanked SND Range Project and Mercy Corps for partnering with the municipality to open the drainage channels and encouraged everyone to take responsibility for managing waste at household and community levels.
“I urge our people not to leave the responsibility of keeping the environment clean to waste service providers and government agencies,” he said.
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