Kenya's drought: an economic disaster

The drought which has hit East Africa is wreaking havoc among the region's herders and pastoralists. Their herds of livestock have been decimated.

“I had a herd of 100 goats but just in the last month 40 have died," said one resident who had walked about 15km (10 miles) and had to carry her goat as it was too weak to make the journey. “Now the children are very weak because, as the animals are dying, they are not getting enough food. This is the worst drought we have had here since 1969.”

Seventy percent of the residents in some regions of Kenya are pastoralists. They rely entirely rely on their livestock for survival. “They get milk and meat from livestock and they sell the animals to buy other items and even pay school fees,” a government spokesperson explained. “Livestock is like the bank for these people. They are losing their entire economy.”