Lush Land Dries Up, Withering Kenya’s Hopes

This article can be found here.

September 7, 2009
When it comes to conveying the death and desperation of Kenyan drought-stricken lands, Jeffrey Gettleman does it justice. Within his New York Times article, there was a clean, organized combination of factual explanation and reverent story-telling. Those he interviewed contributed riveting, touching stories effectively expressing the utter sadness inflicted on those most affected by the drought conditions, the northern Kenyan people. These outcries were aptly juxtaposed with the brute ignorance of Chaunga Mwachaunga, the acting district officer in Lokori. “Hunger? How do we know they died of hunger?” he said. “I know there’s not enough food for people, but we can be sure that nobody will die of hunger while the Kenyan government is here. Show me the death certificates.” Gettleman then communicates this sense of urgency by further describing the response of other organizations, such as World Vison, the coalition now trying desperately to rally sympathetic countries into funding their effort to distribute food and water. In fact, their UN bid for $576 million is looking rather 'half-empty'. These nations are losing sympathy as the government sells off the last bit of the grain supply and occupies themselves, instead, with upcoming elections and continuing corruption.
Gettleman also investigates the more local effects of famine. The Turkana and Pokot people have initiated an ethnic war during all this struggle, as they try to steal the farming and grazing land from one another.
In this article, one pronounced theme is held close to the author's depiction of Kenyan tragedy: the government. They failed to heed the warning signs of famine and they failed to react in time when famine finally struck.