Thousands in 10 districts stare hunger in the face

• Baringo East, Samburu and at least eight other neighbouring districts' residents have no food.
• At least four people said to have died of hunger related complications at Chemagit Location, Mondi Division.
• Government maintains that no one has died of hunger in the country and that food assessment report is due to be released next week.
• Baringo, East Pokot districts have experienced one of the worst droughts this year with people now eating wild fruits boiled for 12 hours.

Baringo district commissioner Khamasi Shivogo said 5,000 families uprooted from their homes in Mukutani and Rugus locations by cattle rustlers from East Pokot, sought shelter in Kokwa Island, Logumgum and Kiserian and were in dire need of food.

“Unlike the political internal refugees these are people who were displaced by cattle rustlers and have undergone untold suffering since 2005,” said the DC.

In East Baringo, residents are eating wild fruits after their livestock, their main source of food, died. Some of the residents have driven their animals more than 200 kilometres northwards in such of pasture and water.

Only malnourished children, women and the elderly are left behind. Mr Sammy Lopuan, an elder, told the Nation that the area had not received any rainfall for eight months. Several of the malnourished children were given free treatment by a mobile clinic provided by the Red Cross in East Pokot.

According to Mr Lopuan, at least four people have died of hunger related complications at his village in Chemagit Location, Mondi Division.

“I have lost 20 head of cattle to the famine; it is the worst I have seen,” he said.

But the Government maintains that no one has died of hunger in the country and that food assessment report is due to be released next week.

The food supplied will serve at least 68,000 people in the district for the next couple of weeks. The district has a population of 80,000 people, and only three per cent of the area is fit for crop farming.

Mr Kamama thanked the Government for the swift response saying that the problem could have degenerated into a disaster and led to loss of lives had help been delayed for another two weeks.

But for Mama Sokoma Kiuwal, a mother of 10, the food ration will not last even a day. “I’m the father and mother of all these children. I have no one to turn to since I do not have a husband,” she said.

The Red Cross has been allocated two acres to establish an office in Kinyang, the district headquarters, as part of its search of a long term solution to the perennial food shortage in the area, DC Muthuku Mwenga said.

Agricultural officer

Baringo agricultural officer Dan Guda said the district would experience a shortfall of 250,000 bags of maize this season. “Out of 300,000 bags required, we may be able to produce only 50,000 bags following total rain failure during the planting season,’’ he said on Monday.

The area under cultivation reduced this season due to high farm inputs, and this has resulted into 60 per cent of the population needing support, said Mr Guda.

Baringo and East Pokot districts have experienced one of the worst droughts this year with people now eating wild fruits that is boiled for 12 hours.