More than 100 youths who have been trekking for five days in an effort to conserve River Ewaso Nyiro this morning converged at Archers Post, Samburu County having successfully completed the 240KM journey.
The participants commenced the walk dubbed camel caravan last Thursday with one group starting off t Ewaso Market in Laikipia County and another group starting the exercise from the other end of the river at Malkadaka in Garbatula Sub-County, Isiolo County.
The group aims at raising awareness on the need to conserve River Ewaso Nyiro, the main source of water in the semi arid region of Kenya, mainly occupied by pastoralists.
Water volume on this river that traverses five counties has recorded a steady decline and at times dried up completely at some section resulting to bloody conflicts among the herders as they fight for water and pasture.
Unregulated extraction of water by the farming community upstream has been cited as the major cause of drying up of the river.
The camel caravan which saw participants who were drawn from Maasai, Samburu, Turkana, Borana, Rendille communities aims at strengthening coexistence among the pastoralists through equitable distribution of natural resources.
Speaking at Archers Post at the end of the exercise, participants called on the national government to come with a policy to protect conserve water towers in the country.
The event was sponsored by Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation (IMPCAT), World Peace Service and Isiolo Peace Link.
IMPACT director Mali ole Kaunga said the River Ewaso Nyiro is the source of livelihood to 3.6million people living in Laikipia, Samburu, Marsabit, Isiolo and Wajir counties.