OCHA Situation Report
Kenya
Report for May 2007
11 June 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

1.0  THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

1.1 General Overview:

During the month of May, there has been a further escalation of violence 
in many parts of the country, the most alarming being the gruesome 
killings of Matatu bus operators and other private citizens allegedly 
being carried out by the Mungiki sect. Cattle raids and ethnic-related 
violence have also been noted with 30 lives being lost due to cattle 
raiding and a further 5 deaths and numerous injuries coming as a result 
of separate incidents of ethnic violence in Bura Division (Tana River 
District) and Kuresoi in Molo District.

Heavy rains caused flash flooding in coastal and western regions. Four 
children died while 3,000 people were displaced in Coast Province and 
over 3,600 people were displaced in Western Province following flash 
floods in Budalangi. Apart from usual displacements, the rains disrupted 
normal activities and destroyed property of unknown value i.e. crops, 
housing facilities and infrastructure. The Kenya food Security Meeting 
(KFSM) reports that the delayed rains have been erratic in most parts of 
the country and rainfall has been poor in most of the northern pastoral 
districts. There are concerns for poor pasture regeneration in Turkana, 
Mandera and Wajir Districts as this, coupled with inadequate rainfall, 
would strain pastoral livelihoods and household coping strategies in 
areas that have experienced repeated calamities over the past 12-15 
months.

Furthermore, several cases of cholera outbreaks have been reported in 10 
districts in Kenya. Affected areas include: Kisumu, Mandera, West Pokot, 
Turkana, Siaya, Wajir and Dadaab camps with over 227 cases during the 
past month. Poor hygiene and sanitation practices have been cited as 
causal factors in the upsurge where some cases are thought to go 
unrecorded because of poor access to health services. A measles outbreak 
in Wajir and Garissa districts has also caused some concern and there 
has been an outbreak of Aflatoxin poisoning in Meru District.

Despite the closure of Kenya-Somalia border, UNHCR has recorded close to 
5,000 refugees who have managed to trickle in since January 2007. 
Although the Kenyan Government has accepted that the screening and 
registration process take place, they have requested that the refugees 
be shipped off to Kakuma camp. The move could address some of the Kenyan 
authorities' security concerns about the asylum seekers but would be 
very costly and would require heave logistics arrangements.

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