Farmers watch in despair as ASAL area's food basket dries up

Irrigation scheme that communities depend on struggling as Kerio River waters shrink.

750-acre irrigation scheme the hope of pastoralists ravaged by perennial banditry.

After hours of driving along Turkana’s dusty, rocky roads under a scorching sun where the landscape stretches in shades of brown and dry shrub, the sight of crop farming comes as a welcome surprise.

Nestled in the harsh terrain is a vibrant patch of green, where a group of energetic youth is busy tending their vegetables.

Armed with watering cans and farm tools, they move between rows of thriving vegetables, their laughter and chatter cutting through the still heat.

The farm stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding drought-hit environment, a symbol of resilience and innovation.

In a region often associated with drought, insecurity, and pastoralist struggles, this lush green farm tells a different story.

Among the youth are Ekale and Ekwam from Morulem village, who spend most of their time tending vegetables, considered the “gold” of the drought-stricken county.

“Farming is fetching good returns. We are happy,” they say.

But limited water levels in the borehole, which was donated by well-wishers, remain their biggest challenge.

“We normally prepare about five acres for planting, but we can't now. The water table is low, and we must be considerate because the same borehole supplies water for domestic use in the community,” they explain.

Gunshots occasionally pierce the air in Morulem, a known banditry hot spot in Turkana East.

Yet this doesn't deter them.

For years, residents here were largely dependent on livestock keeping. But frequent cattle raids, prolonged droughts, and shrinking pasture have forced many to turn to crop farming along the Kerio River basin.

“Before I started crop farming, raids were very common. Armed bandits would attack mostly at night, steal livestock, sometimes kill people, and disappear,” recalls Etabo Tirus.

He remembers the day his own herd was wiped out, an experience that turned his mindset.

“We lost everything. I had no food, no source of income to buy food or take my children to school. I was left begging. Almost all my neighbors were languishing in poverty after losing stock to banditry,” he says.

But even farming is becoming increasingly difficult. The ongoing drought has reduced water levels in the river, the lifeline of the Morulem Irrigation Scheme.

Farmers rely on canals, but the shrinking flow means less farming. Some have turned to drip irrigation to conserve the little water remaining, but the costs and limited supply have reduced production.

“After our assessments, we realised many farmers depend on River Kerio, but it is steadily drying up as the drought persists. If this continues, production will definitely decline,” says Turkana County Red Cross Coordinator Rukia Abubakar.

At the irrigation scheme, some furrows that had been prepared for planting have dried up.

Tirus says during better seasons, the scheme would be a beehive of activity, with lorries ferrying fresh produce, and farmers attending training sessions.

But today, the farmland is parched, with hardy vegetation such as mathenge trees (Prosopis Juliflora) taking over. The scheme, previously a green and productive food basket supplying farm produce across Turkana County and to nearby hotels.

The 750-acre irrigation scheme was supported by USAID, but this ended after US President Donald Trump withdrew donor funding.

At the same time, insecurity continues to disrupt farming. The raids are common along the borders of Turkana, Baringo, and Laikipia counties. Residents say fear of attacks sometimes prevents them from fully utilizing their farms especially in fields located far from settlements.

Red Cross has been supporting about 1,500 households engaged in farming on about 700 acres. Farmers here grow maize, green grams, millet, kales, and spinach, crops that have traditionally supplied fresh produce to nearby markets such as Lokori.

Yet farmers remain hopeful. “Look, we have already prepared a section of the farm so that when it rains, we plant,” adds Tirus.

Youth groups have increasingly embraced farming as an alternative to pastoralism, seeing it as a safer and more sustainable livelihood.

At the moment, Turkana County, one of Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) regions, continues to grapple with severe drought that has pushed malnutrition rates among the highest globally, even as experts say increased investment in farming could help cushion communities against recurring food crises.

The region has both pure pastoralists and agro-pastoralists, but the prolonged drought has strained food production systems across the board.

“Turkana is one of the ASAL (arid and semi-arid land) counties highly affected by drought, and currently we are seeing very high levels of malnutrition. However, areas practising farming, such as Morulem, have recorded relatively lower malnutrition levels because households can access food from their farms,” says Red Cross.

Humanitarian agencies and agricultural experts insist that strengthening irrigation, investing in climate-smart agriculture, and supporting agro-pastoral farming systems could transform Turkana and other ASAL regions into a more resilient food-producing zone.