KDF to transport livestock relief feed to herders in Marsabit and Turkana

National Drought Management Authority Director James Oduor flags off trucks carrying livestock feed in Nakuru on February 21, 2017. The feed is meant for herders in Marsabit and Turkana. PHOTO | MAGDALENE WANJA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Pastoralists in the counties have lost hundreds of livestock due to starvation and lack of water.
  • The programme will run for two months and will benefit pastoralists in drought-stricken counties.

The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) has started sending livestock feed relief to pastoralist communities in drought-stricken counties in an intervention meant to ease the effects of famine on their animals.

NDMA on Tuesday released the first batch of livestock feed supplements to be delivered to pastoralists in Marsabit and Turkana, which are some of the hardest hit by the drought.

Pastoralists in the counties have lost hundreds of livestock due to starvation and lack of water.

The livestock relief stock purchased with support from the European Union is meant to help mitigate the drought effects being felt in at least 23 arid and semi-arid counties.

According to NDMA Chief Executive Officer James Oduor, the Sh140 million programme will run for two months and will benefit pastoralists in drought-stricken counties.

The first consignment of pellets loaded in 15 trucks and two water bowsers was flagged off by the NDMA chief executive in Nakuru Tuesday.

KDF FACILITATES TRANSPORT

The programme is being managed by the Ministry of Devolution and Planning and will be administered with facilitation from the Kenya Defence Forces which agreed to offer transport.

“Usually we suffer the challenge of distribution whenever such relief commodities are taken to the various counties but this time, KDF trucks will deliver them to the various destinations,” Mr Oduor said.

He was speaking at Unga Farmcare Milling Plant in Nakuru Town where he flagged off the consignment.

He said the 4,177 tonnes of pellets will go a long way in supporting weak animals.

“The consumption of the feed is about two kilograms per cattle, 200 grams for sheep and 500 grams for a goat per day. So, this means the feeds will help save a big number of livestock,” he said.

He added that the livestock feed was not the only intervention but is for complementing other projects started earlier.

NDMA Director of Technical Services Sunya Orre said the government is also working on other projects aimed at managing the disaster, which include cash transfers.