Even as heavy rainfall continue pounding several parts of the country causing massive floods and living behind trail of destructions, North Eastern Province unlike other parts of the country is suffering a dry spell even as the nearby Tana River, whose main source is the Mt Kenya region, threatens to burst its banks. The Kenya Red Cross and KenGen have warned residents living along the river to move to high grounds for safety.

But hundreds of pastoralists, who depend on pasture and water, have been forced to change their migratory grazing patterns as the North Eastern Province continues to experience drought. They have move their animals to Mwingi county, which has had a fair share of rainfall, to look for pasture and water.

Speaking to the press in Garissa town, Northern Water Services Board chief executive officer Mohammed Shurie said the current drought is not as devastating as the previous ones, adding that even then mitigation measures need to be taken to avert the loss of livestock.

"The situation is serious as the little rainfall that we received recently cannot sustain pasture growth and if the situation continues this way then we are going to scale up water tinkering efforts," said Shurie.

Shurie said his organisation has in the past partnered with the Ministry of Water to alleviate the situation. He said the corporation has secured 18 water browsers from the Japanese Corporation of Africa to aid in water tinkering efforts in all the districts of NEP.

"The situation is under control as we have sunk down several strategic boreholes for the provision of domestic, livestock and irrigation water, " said Shurie. Dadaab Agricultural Officer Subdow Kassai Omar said the drought that has affected farmers in the region.