This archive report was first published on 6 December 2019.
Published on December 6, 2019, residents in Kiangwe and Mararani villages in Lamu are struggling with an acute water shortage.
According to residents, they have been relying on boreholes and wells in Boni Forest, but the few available wells have salty water.
Ms Fatma Shizo, a community elder in Kiangwe, said women are forced to wake up early and trek for over 30 kilometres daily in search of fresh water, often queuing to draw water from the only well with fresh water in their area.
"The few wells available here have salty water," Ms Shizo said.
Residents have resorted to using saline water from the Indian Ocean, risking their lives by drinking dirty water.
Mr Abdi Chengele, a resident at Mararani village in Boni Forest, said many households in the area do not cook at times due to the water shortage.
However, Mr Chengele thanked the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) soldiers and the police for helping them, saying they often provide drinking water from their camps.
Locals in the affected villages have pleaded with the county government to establish water desalination plants in the area to alleviate the crisis.
