MPs: Declare drought national disaster

MPs from arid and semi-arid parts of Kenya want President Kibaki to declare the drought ravaging some parts of the country a national disaster.

They said that the large-scale measures announced by the government to deal with the effects of the drought, which has largely affected Upper North Rift and North Eastern Province, had not worked and had actually proved to be less than those carried out in earlier situations.

Speaking under the auspices of the Pastoralists' Parliamentary Group Wednesday, the MPs said conflicts over water have sprung around Kenya’s border with Sudan, between the Turkana and the Pokot and in Laikipia and Samburu North.

Group secretary general Ekwee Ethuro said declaration of a national disaster would enable the government to mobilise its machinery to have food delivered to the people.

The MPs made a similar pledge before Parliament went on a break last December, but they said the little that resulted from that plea was not enough.

“It is very unfortunate that the government has visited the areas, promised the people that something would be done for them but nothing has happened yet,” said Defence assistant minister Joseph Nkaissery.

Mr Nkaissery, who is the MP for Kajiado Central, said the MPs are also seeking to meet President Kibaki and explain the situation to him.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Special Programmes minister Esther Murugi have since then visited parts of North Eastern and promised interventions to have food delivered to the hunger-stricken.

Agriculture minister Sally Kosgei told Parliament’s Agriculture Committee last February Kenya has enough maize to last until September.

She also jointly declared with Ms Murugi that there was no need to declare the drought a national disaster given that there is enough maize in the National Cereals and Produce Board silos.

Mandera East MP Mohammed Hussein Ali said the biggest problem in NEP is the supply of water, without which “people will soon be dying of thirst".

Nominated MP Sophia Abdi Noor said the registration of students for national examinations would also be affected as parents are finding it hard to raise the money required as they cannot sell off their livestock.

Women and children are the hardest hit by the drought, she said, and the government should shoulder its responsibility and deal with the issue.

Isiolo North MP Abdul Bahari asked the government to make it possible for the Army and the National Youth Service to help in distributing the food as promised by Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The issue also came up during debate on the Supplementary Budget estimates, with Gichugu MP Martha Karua saying the Sh5 billion allocated was coming in too late as livestock and people have died.