Isiolo County calls for urgent help to tackle devastating bushfire
Isiolo County Government has called for immediate assistance to tackle an ongoing wildfire crisis that has devastated critical rangelands and threatened the livelihoods of pastoralist communities.
The county has appealed to humanitarian organisations, government departments, and development partners for food supplies, animal feeds, machinery, fuel, and manpower to contain the fires and mitigate their impact.
More To Read
According to Isiolo County Secretary and Head of County Public Service, Dade Boru, the wildfire has ravaged six key areas, consuming grazing fields and destroying vital rangelands.
“As you may be aware, Isiolo County has experienced a serious wildfire outbreak mainly in the wards of Sericho and Cherab. The fire has consumed all the grazing fields and destroyed the rangelands, which are the backbone of our society, predominantly pastoralists,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The purpose of this letter therefore is to forward you the report of the wildfire as done
by the County Department of Special Programme and further request you to support us accordingly.”
The wildfire has severely affected several areas in the County, with Sericho Town bearing the brunt as 40 kilometres of land have been destroyed. Other impacted areas include Dadach Basa, where 31 kilometres have been consumed, Malka Galla with 15 kilometres affected, Mata Arba at 1 kilometre, Ires Haboru with 35 kilometres, and Badana, where 18 kilometres of grazing land have been destroyed.
The County said the locations are vital grazing grounds for livestock, and the destruction poses significant risks to the livelihoods of pastoralists, who rely heavily on these resources for sustenance and economic stability.
The county government highlighted that it has been working alongside key stakeholders, including the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and the National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC).
“These teams are providing emergency relief, fire management expertise, and coordination of disaster response efforts,” it said.
So far, the County said it has supplied food and fuel to sustain the firefighting efforts. However, it noted that these interventions are insufficient to address the scale of the disaster.
The county has identified several critical interventions needed to manage the wildfire and support affected communities.
These include the provision of at least five tractors to create firebreaks and prevent further destruction of pasturelands, food supplies to sustain firefighting teams and local residents, fuel to operate machinery and facilitate transportation, additional manpower from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the National Youth Service (NYS) to aid in fire containment, and animal feeds to support livestock that can no longer access grazing areas.
The county government has urged all stakeholders to mobilise resources and support the emergency response.
“This wildfire crisis requires a unified and collaborative response from all stakeholders,” Boru said, stressing the importance of coordinated efforts to mitigate further damage.
Isiolo County added that it remains committed to working with partners to address the crisis but emphasises that the scale of the wildfire necessitates urgent and comprehensive intervention.
The community hopes for swift action to restore normalcy and protect the livelihoods of its pastoralist population.
Top Stories Today
