Drought has greatly affected famers in Kayonza districts, negatively impacting crop production and livestock, leaving some livestock dead for lack of water and a lingering fate of hunger. Cyarubare cell, Kabare sector, Mwiri sector, Gahini sector and a small part of Rwinkwavu sector were the most affected.
Residents have to work for extra hours to get a meal, doing odd jobs so as to make ends meet. The drought which led to crop failure has precipitated hunger in the region.
The mayor of Kayonza district, John Mugabo, said that they have communicated the crisis to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and have already accumulated a list of households that require urgent support.
He also revealed that the district has prepared projects that will provide job opportunities, enabling them to buy food and seeds for the next season.
“We have Rwf27 million to construct canals as passageways for irrigation water, a project that will provide jobs for the youth, enabling them an income for food and seeds,” he said adding that the district will next provide jobs for the repair of 10 kilometer stretch of road in the district.
Residents will also be given land in a prepared marshland of 1100 hectares for rice growing.
The drought has also affected livestock where some animals succumbed to dry spells and other keepers sold off part of their stock. District officials have not yet revealed the number of dead animals.
The management of the district says they have started supporting livestock farmers by digging valley dams as drinking points for the animals, saving both the animals and herdsmen the burden of long distances in search of water, a major cause of animals’ deaths.
Eastern Province often faces droughts even as some other parts of the country are exposed to heavy rain, ravaging crops, infrastructures and sometimes take people’s lives.
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