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The wildfire that affected parts of two sub-counties in Isiolo County has been brought under control, with the government issuing a strong warning to locals about the dangers of starting fires carelessly.
Raymond Omollo, the Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, reported that the fire, which began on January 17, had spread over approximately 2,500 hectares of forest.
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During a visit to Sericho, where he and Gitonga Mugambi, the Forestry Ministry counterpart, led a government team to assess the situation, Omollo explained that the fire mostly destroyed animal pasture in Cherab and Garbatulla sub-counties.
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Omollo noted that emergency response teams arrived promptly after the fire broke out in the southern Ewaso Nyiro region, spreading from Guthuba and Biliqi toward Dadacha Basa and Sericho areas.
“The teams have done an excellent job. They managed to fully contain the fires by yesterday and are now monitoring the situation,” he said.
The most impacted areas were identified as Sericho, Bandana, Dadacha Basa, Eleturku, and Merti, about 300 kilometers from Isiolo town.
“The positive news is that no human lives were lost,” Omollo said, highlighting that the affected regions were sparsely populated.
Omollo added that investigations were underway into reports that the fires may have been started by herders clearing paths for their livestock or trying to repel ticks and tsetse flies. Other reports suggested that honey harvesters might have been responsible for igniting the flames.
He cautioned against setting fires during dry and windy periods, as they can quickly spread and devastate large areas of pasture. He also warned that anyone found responsible for recklessly starting a fire would face consequences.
Multi-agency Response
Omollo announced that the government would support livestock farmers who lost animals during the dry season by helping them restock, as well as providing assistance for herders to acquire pasture for their livestock.
He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the teams that fought the fire, including National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO), Kenya Forest Service officers, Kenya Wildlife Service personnel, local community members, the Northern Rangeland Trust (NRT), and the Kenya Red Cross.
Over 120 rangers and 40 firefighting specialists, supported by aerial surveillance, were involved in the operation, and the government deployed equipment such as ChapTrack machines for creating firebreaks, firefighting engines, and 10,000-liter water bowsers.
Omollo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting pastoralists in enhancing livestock production as part of a broader plan to improve the entire livestock value chain.
Gitonga Mugambi, the Forestry PS, also expressed gratitude to the firefighting teams for their work and urged the local community to avoid starting fires during dry, windy seasons, noting that the increase in fire incidents could partly be attributed to climate change.
“I encourage everyone to plant trees when the rains come to help mitigate climate change. Recently, we dealt with floods, and now we are fighting fires during the dry season,” he said, stressing that these events point to the effects of climate change.
The event was also attended by Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko and Isiolo County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding.
