Ijara Sub-County in Garissa, north-eastern Kenya, has been receiving heavy rainfall from Friday after a long dry spell in region that had gone for three years without rain.

Most parts of the country depend water carted by donkey, government bowsers or – occasionally – piped supplies.

The heavy downpour comes as a relief to thousands of residents and their livestock in the arid and semi-arid land for they have been roaming long hours and distances in search of water.

The rainfall has also down the cost of buying water from donkey-drawn carts and from the bowsers provided by the state that been charging Ksh1,000 per month as a standing rate.

Youth leader Yakub Yarrow and Masalani town watchdogs chairman Abdullahi Abdi termed the rainfall as a blessing from God and that it will reduce the water cost burden for area residents.

The Sub-County Water Coordinator Noor Mohamed said even the water taps had run dry following the prolonged dry spell that dried up boreholes and water pans.

Residents have called on the county government to fix the water shortage problem once and for all by putting up permanent solutions to the crisis.

They have now called on the director of water in the Garissa county government to look for permanent water shortages solutions.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Mohammed Dahir