She died of hardship and exhaustion because she could not see her eight children go hungry. The last of these, three weeks old, was still attached her breast, with which she could barely breastfeed him.
Thus a young mother was nipped, after walking several kilometers in search of water and something to eat in the Baringo region in the northwest of the country.
Her older daughter, who was accompanying her, saw her reach the well, which had almost dried up, and tear herself to the ground. She forcefully called out to other women in the area, and they tried to revive her using what little water they were able to retrieve, but there was nothing for the mother to do.
"We tried to give her water through her mouth, but after three jugs, nothing. Her body looked too frail for a mother who had recently given birth, I doubt she had enough milk for her baby," recounted one of the women who tried to save her.
The very sad affair is not the only one that has happened lately in Baringo County, one of the most scourged by famine and drought. Last week an 80-year-old grandmother died of starvation after a days-long forced fast. Some residents interviewed by local media who, after the death of the mother of eight children took an interest in the dramatic situation, recounted that they have long been able to eat only once in a while and that their food consists of a dish of porridge (water and oatmeal) of which, after giving the bare minimum to their children, they manage to keep only a few teaspoons for themselves. One man related that starvation in his village has arisen not only because of the drought that has debilitated his livestock, but also because of banditry that has taken away the few healthy cattle.
Alarming reports are coming in from across the country, with the first deaths reported directly linked to the lack of food, in what has arguably been the worst drought to hit Kenya for as long as anyone can remember. The government has launched a nationwide program to distribute food to affected families, but for now it is a drop in the ocean, despite President William Ruto's announcement that his government has earmarked an additional 2 billion shillings to mitigate drought damage.