The government has begun distributing relief food in some parts of the country even as at least one million Kenyans face starvation, and death.
The situation has been blamed on the ongoing drought and the government says the crisis could get out of hand if the long rains fail to start in the next two weeks.
At least 12 counties, mostly pastoral, have been hit by the prolonged dry spell, making it hard for locals to find water and food for themselves as well as their livestock.
The affected counties include Baringo, Turkana Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir, Kilifi, Marsabit, Tana River Samburu, Mandera, Kitui and, Makueni.
Baringo and Turkana are the most affected counties with some locals reported to be eating wild fruits and leaves to survive.
Citizen Digital reports that nine people have been reported to have lost their lives in Baringo County from biting hunger.
On Friday, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa flagged off over 600 tonnes of relief food in Turkana County where more than 200,000 residents are facing starvation.
“We will be going to all these areas to see what we can do. County had started food distribution but it is a vast county of 70,000km,” says CS Wamalwa.
Wamalwa says there is enough food in the government strategic food reserve.
“We had a bumper harvest…it is not that we have food shortage but that drought is biting. And we must come to ensure no Kenyan loses their life,” adds Wamalwa.
Less than one year ago, most of the drought-stricken counties were hit by flooding, but the water ended up in the ocean.
“What we are doing is to make sure that no Kenyan dies because of lack of food or scarcity of water. That is our first action, which is to save lives,” CS Wamalwa says.
They will die and will not…
They will die and will not even get the dignity of a decent burial – they will be eaten by vultures … then we shall be online expressing our outrage from the comfort of our homes as we eat 3 course meals and cook for our dogs … then in 2022 we shall wake up at 3am to go vote for “mtu wetu” … haki sisi wakenya ni ihii sana .. we think with our buttocks not our brains
The age of pastrolism and…
The age of pastrolism and nomadism is long gone. We can not have a population whose work is to just walk or stand the whole day looking at some animal. One has to learn to multitask inorder to bring food to the table. This kind of behavior is sheer laziness in this modern age.
Pastoralism does not cause…
Pastoralism does not cause starvation.
Kitui, Makueni,Tana river, Kilifi are not pastoral communities.
Meanwhile the boy in…
Meanwhile the boy in statehouse once again shows us how out of his depth he is by pledging Ksh. 250m from the government to sponsor golf. This from the one person in Kenya who in over 50yrs has no single individual accomplishment of his that he can point at. Bure kabisa
Build dams in those dry…
Build dams in those dry counties. Instead you have been eating all the money assigned to such projects. Ruto, my friend lead the way in giving millions to these hungry ones and not to churches that are already well off. Start with Baringo. You need their votes before they die.
Bumper harvest but people…
Bumper harvest but people are dying of hunger!!!
That means the famine and starvation is stage managed with a specific goal.
The goal bring kalejins and kikuyu leaders solicit money from donor communities with the intention of stealing.
We want secession.