Only 7 counties are facing hunger, says Kiunjuri

Governor Godana Doyo (left), Isiolo County Commissioner George Natembeya and Devolution CS Mwangi Kiunjuri (centre) distribute food to families affected by drought in Ngaremara on December 24, 2017. PHOTO | VIVIAN JEBET | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Speaking in Marsabit, Mr Kiunjuri said the government had dispatched 420 tonnes of assorted relief food for distribution in the county, where it is to also buy 4,500 livestock.

  • He said President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that the rations — including unimix for the elderly, expectant mothers and children under five, maize, beans, rice and cooking oil — be ferried straight to the divisions so as to reach the beneficiaries on time.

The government has contained famine in 16 of the 23 hardest-hit counties, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri said on Tuesday, adding that the remaining seven will be “stabilised” this week.

Speaking in Marsabit, Mr Kiunjuri said the government had dispatched 420 tonnes of assorted relief food for distribution in the county, where it is to also buy 4,500 livestock.

He said President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that the rations — including unimix for the elderly, expectant mothers and children under five, maize, beans, rice and cooking oil — be ferried straight to the divisions so as to reach the beneficiaries on time.

“By Friday this week, the government will have taken the necessary action,” said Mr Kiunjuri at Marsabit Stadium. “We shall have taken enough food to all the 23 counties and other areas that are not traditionally affected — like pockets of Nyeri, Kiambu, Kakamega and Homa Bay counties.

“We shall provide them with food to last them one month then do the second round that will last them up to May.”

He added: “My appeal to governors is that, please help us to do water trucking. As we distribute food, governors should supply water.”

The CS said each of the seven sub-counties will receive 60 tonnes of food and the allocations will be doubled in three weeks and sustained for three months. Three National Youth Service trucks have been deployed to transport the food.

As part of the off-take, said the CS, the government will buy 100 head of cattle in every sub-county for slaughter and the meat will be distributed to the residents, in a bid to tackle malnutrition.

Saying learning will not be disrupted in schools, he instructed County Commissioner Magu Mutindika to ensure the institutions get sufficient food.

Meanwhile, Marsabit Governor Ukur Yatani appealed to the national government to set up a sustainable relief food assistance programme for pastoralist communities affected by drought to avert starvation and loss of lives, saying the situation was dire.

Mr Yatani said that his administration had suspended some recurrent expenditure to raise Sh450 million needed to mitigate the effects of drought.