WFP told to act on Turkana hunger

The Government has asked a United Nations agency to resume relief food supplies in Turkana county following reports of starvation in the area. The World Food Programme will feed the hungry people as the government seeks a long-term solution for the hunger problem with local leaders.

Special Programmes assistant minister Mohamud Ali said the government had adequate food for relief supplies.

National Cereals and Produce Board communications chief Evans Wasike said there were 3.1 million bags of maize in the strategic reserves. “We have also started receiving more stocks in our stores. We have started with Narok before moving to former Western Province, Nakuru, Kitale and Eldoret.” Mr Wasike said.

WFP, which is leading supplier of relief food in the arid districts, stopped supplies because of a stand-off with local MPs over distribution.

The UN agency wants the work to be handled by ActionAid and Oxfam while the MPs are rooting for the Kenya Red Cross Society.

A family is reported to have eaten its dog in Turkana where thousands of people are facing starvation.

Kenya Red Cross communications official Titus Mong’ou said some areas that rely on relief in Turkana had not received the rations since June. Areas at the Coast, Eastern, North Eastern and North Rift are also affected.

Erratic rains

Apart from erratic rains, Mr Mong’ou added that floods had affected harvests in the North Rift.

Kenya Red Cross was assisting pastoralists to re-stock livestock, sink dams and boreholes and plant drought resistant crops.

According to Red Cross statistics, up to 20,000 households in the North Rift face starvation.

“The most vulnerable groups include widows, orphans, the elderly and children,” Mr Mong’ou said. The Kenya Food Security Update report for September warned of below-average 2010 short rains in the semi-arid parts of Kenya due to the La Nina phenomenon.

This could result in food shortage from early 2011.

“The expected severe deterioration in food security in these areas suggests the need to institute interventions to address food insecurity and livelihood viability,” the report says.

Kenya produces about 27 million bags of maize although consumption stands at 33 million bags. The gap is filled by imports. In Coast, starvation stalks 20,000 people in Taita District following a season of poor harvests caused by drought between January and May.

Wundanyi district officer David Boen said the number of starving people is likely to increase following the delayed short rain season. The relief supply allocated to the district has also been reduced from 1,000 to 600 bags of maize.

“We also got 300 bags of rice instead of the normal 600 bags which is still allocated on paper but not physically there at the NCPB stores,” he said.

The worst hit areas include Kishushe, Mwanda, Mbale and the lower parts of Wundanyi locations.

Livestock is also under threat as water sources and grass have dried up. Herdsmen have driven their animals into the Tsavo National Park in search of pastures.

Meanwhile, the United States has donated Sh2.5 billion for the war on hunger.

This follows Kenya’s inclusion in the multi-billion President Barack Obama’s “Feed the Future” initiative. Ambassador Michael Ranneberger said it was part of the pledges made to Kenyans if they passed the new Constitution. The envoy announced at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute that $29 million (Sh2.32 billion) would go in agriculture investment.

Another $ 1.25 million (Sh100 million) would go towards nutrition-related assistance.

Mr Ranneberger who was accompanied by Agriculture Minister Sally Kosgei said the donation follows the US’s commitment to eradicate hunger and to increase food security for Kenyans.

The US is the first country to honour a commitment reached at G-8 Summit in July last year by world leaders to increase investment in agriculture and rural development to combat food insecurity and promote prosperity. Mr Ranneberger said the Feed the Future Initiative will address needs of small scale farmers and agri-businesses and harness the power of women to drive economic growth.

“This is part of a broad US Government effort aimed at supporting implementation of the Constitution, which is key to counter the three great problems which have plagued Kenya since independence: the culture of impunity, negative ethnicity, and pervasive poverty,” the envoy said.

Mr Ranneberger said credible implementation of the Constitution would greatly enhance Kenya’s democratic stability, “and this will in turn encourage more American and other foreign investment. He was hopeful that the new Constitution would result to a more prosperous and democratic Kenya.

The envoy said implementation of new law should be done in a way that transforms institutions and makes leaders more accountable to Kenyan citizens.

“Implementing these provisions requires efficient action and clear leadership by the government and the Parliament, but it is equally important that civil society, religious leaders, the private sector and ordinary Kenyans-particularly the youthful majority-be broadly consulted,” Mr Ranneberger said.

The public , he added, should be vigilant and demand expedited delivery on promises made.

Dr Kosgei thanked the US for its support saying the ministry was committed to ensuring food security.

“Kenya should not be importing food as it has good climate. We should remove persistent poverty from our midst and continue to direct more investments to agriculture. We must be food secure,” the minister said.