08/09/2026
The other day in Machakos, I saw this weir holding back water, and honestly, I started thinking.
Why are we so rich in potential but sometimes so broke in ideas?
You see, in our semi-arid areas, rivers are like those relatives who only visit in December.
Very seasonal.
When the rains come, the river fills up and water comes rushing down like guests at a free wedding buffet.
We celebrate.
We take pictures.
Then we watch millions of litres disappear downstream into the Indian Ocean.
A few months later:
āHakuna maji Ukambani"
But here is the question:
What if we stored more of that water?
What if our seasonal rivers had strategically placed weirs, dams, water pans and other storage systems?
That same water could support irrigation, livestock, orchards and vegetables long after the rains disappear.
And now, with El NiƱo already established and expected to strengthen, we have an even bigger question.
Are we ready?
Are our farmers preparing their farms?
Are we clearing our water pans?
Are our leaders planning how to harvest and store this water?
Because imagine if, instead of watching floodwater destroy farms and roads before disappearing, we captured even a fraction of it and used it throughout the dry season.
The rain that floods you today can feed you tomorrow.
That is the mindset we need.
We don't just need more rain.
We need to become better at keeping the rain we already receive.
Because one day, if we get this right, our semi-arid lands won't be known for drought.
They will be known for food, orchards, livestock, jobs and opportunities.
And maybe then our rivers will stop being those relatives who only visit in December.
The rain is coming.
The question is: Are we ready for it?
~Jkusenga farm
