Lamu cancels annual food expo to get funds to fight drought

Lamu County Tourism Executive Khamis Kaviha addressing the public at the Lamu Fort during the closure of the Lamu Art Festival on February 19, 2017. He announced that the 2017 annual food festival has been cancelled to allow the county government to fight the ravaging drought. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The cancelled festival normally attracts over 30,000 visitors, both local and international.
  • Mr Kaviha said the hunger facing Lamu residents is worrying since it is worsening by the day following the prolonged drought.
  • Lamu County is among the 23 counties in arid and semi-arid areas worst affected by the ongoing drought.
  • It is estimated that at least 50,000 households and over 300,000 cattle are currently in dire need of food and water.

The Lamu County government has been forced to cancel the 2017 annual food festival and will instead focus on fight the drought currently ravaging the region.

The food festival, which was officially launched by the county government in 2015, is normally celebrated in April of every year and is among a list of many other events that seek to sell Lamu as an island of festivals.

The festival normally attracts over 30,000 visitors, both local and international, who flock into Lamu to experience the diversity and combination of both cultural and culinary activities.

But while addressing residents at the Mkunguni Square during the closure of the 2017 Lamu Arts Festival, County Executive for Tourism, Trade and Culture, Mr Khamis Kaviha, said the county government had reached the decision to call off the food event in order to seek for more funds to assist residents in areas in Lamu hardest hit by drought.

DROUGHT WORSENING

Mr Kaviha said the hunger facing Lamu residents is worrying since it is worsening by the day following the prolonged drought.

“Due to the drought being experienced in Lamu at the moment, we will not mark this year’s third edition of the Food and Expo Festival.

“We will direct the money allocated for the festival into assisting residents affected by drought in the various parts of Lamu.

“We have also cancelled the event to pave way for us to seek for more funds from well-wishers in order to fully address the hunger situation in our county,” said Mr Kaviha.

Lamu County is among the 23 counties in arid and semi-arid areas in the country which are worst affected by the ongoing drought.

It is estimated that at least 50,000 households and over 300,000 cattle are currently in dire need of food and water in the various parts of the county since the onset of the drought in mid-2016.