KDF comes to the rescue of Turkana herders with livestock feed
KDF trucks carrying relief supplies residents of Turkana affected by drought. The soldiers have started distributing livestock relief feed to remote villages in the county. PHOTO | PETER WARUTUMO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The villages most affected are located in Loima, Turkana West, Turkana North and Kibish sub-counties.
- Besides drought, some villages like Kokuro and Todonyang are prone to militia attacks and cross border cattle raids.
- More than 10,000 livestock in Turkana have died so far due to lack of water and pasture.
Kenya Defence Forces soldiers have started distributing livestock feeds to herders in the most affected villages in Turkana along Kenya’s border with Uganda, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
County Commissioner Stephen Ikua received three trucks loaded with livestock feeds on Thursday before flagging off the consignment to the most affected remote villages.
The villages are located in Loima, Turkana West, Turkana North and Kibish sub-counties.
Besides drought, some villages like Kokuro and Todonyang are prone to militia attacks and cross border cattle raids.
The KDF soldiers arrived from Nakuru from where they are working with the National Drought Management Authority to subsidise transport services following high transport costs in Turkana and Marsabit, some of the most expansive counties in Kenya.
The move by the government to have KDF distribute relief food is expected to ensure areas where other contracted suppliers would fear to reach due to insecurity are served.
Turkana County Commissioner Stephen Ikua (2nd left) and Senator John Munyes (3rd left) on February 23, 2017 flag off the KDF vehicles carrying relief supplies to the affected victims in remote villages of the county. PHOTO | PETER WARUTUMO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
ANIMALS DIE
Thousands of livestock have died in the two counties, currently rated by the Kenya Red Cross Society as the worst hit by drought and famine.
More than 10,000 livestock in Turkana have died so far due to lack of water and pasture.
About 25,000 herders have been forced to cross over to Uganda’s Karamoja region to access easily available water and pasture.
Mr Ikua said that besides livestock feeds, the national government is also distributing 9,000 bags of maize, 3,000 bags of rice and 3,000 bags of beans.
"We will be distributing relief supplies after every two weeks or a month depending to the situation at every locality," he said.
Turkana Senator John Munyes lauded the Jubilee administration for the quick rollout of relief food distribution through the regional administration.
Cabinet secretaries Mwangi Kiunjuri (Devolution), Eugene Wamalwa (Water) and Willy Bett (Agriculture) have been touring the most affected villages in all the six constituencies, assuring residents that the government has an obligation to ensure that each Kenya accesses food.
According to Turkana County Steering Group, more than 700,000 residents of are affected by the worsening drought and famine in the pastoral region.
