Kenya experiencing one of the worst drought, depressed villagers are opting for suicide

The worst drought Kenya is experiencing in recent years is driving some depressed villagers to commit suicide.

According to Red Cross officials in the East African country, an unspecified number of people have taken their lives as they could not deal with the suffering.

Kenya is currently facing drought that has affected millions who are struggling to get food.

“To some of the affected, they hang on strands of hope for the appearance of good Samaritans, while others have surrendered their fate to the ravaging drought,” said Noellah Musundi of the Kenya Red Cross Society.

The official said some 13 counties are in the alarm stage of drought classification.

These include Baringo, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Kilifi, Kwale, Tana River, Lamu, Mandera, Wajir, Samburu, Turkana and West Pokot.

An additional ten are in the alert stage including Embu, Kajiado, Kitui, Laikipia, Makueni, Narok, Nyeri, Taita Taveta, Meru and Tharaka Nithi.

The drought situation follows poor performance of the 2016 long rains (March to May) and failure of the 2016 short rains (October to December) leaving 1,3 million people food insecure as of December.

The situation has since escalated in January to more than 2 million people and as of February, the figure has reached to 2,7 million of Kenya’s 46-million population.

-CAJ news