The national government has dispatched an assortment of relief supplies to hunger-stricken residents in Makueni County who are faced with acute food shortages due to failed rains.
The consignment including 3,000 and 2,600 bags of 50kgs bags of maize and beans, respectively, was disbursed to ten worst affected Sub-counties, including Makueni, Mbooni East, Mbooni West, Kilungu and Mukaa.
Makueni County Commissioner (CC), Mr Khalif Abdullai, disclosed that each of the 10 Sub-counties received 300 and 260 bags of maize and beans respectively, as the government stepped-up effort to avert any fatalities due to starvation.
Sub-counties included Nzaui, Kathozweni, Makindu, Kibwezi and Kambua. Most of the crops planted from early September withered due to delayed rains.
“It should be observed here that the much-anticipated rain of October, November and December has failed, where there has been little rain, it is poorly distributed across the county,” he said.
He attributed the sorry state of affairs to poor rainfall pattern, during the short rainy season which led to massive crop failure.
Speaking at Kikima Comprehensive School after reading the President’s speech during Jamhuri Day celebrations, Abdullahi reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continue to provide food to the needy cases as plans to establish the exact number of the affected families was underway.
He confirmed that a team of officials from the two levels of government, including officers from Departments of Water, Agriculture, Livestock, Education, Health and National Drought Management Authority, were assessing the situation in the different sub-counties to map the affected people.
Abdullahi further revealed that a meeting was scheduled later in the week to incorporate various multinational organisations, among them the World Food Programme, to develop a joint response roadmap to the looming crisis.
Makueni County Governor, Mutula Kilonzo Jr, said that the county has mobilised different departments to under the County Steering Group (CSG), to review the current assessment of the drought, so that the County Assembly can be recalled to set aside money to buy food for the people who are languishing because of hunger.
“We cannot build hospitals and roads while our people are perishing of hunger,” said Mutula, while reading his speech during Jamhuri Day celebrations at Kikima Comprehensive School in Mbooni West Sub-county.
“We will pause our development projects to buy enough food for our people, including this Sh 42 million set aside for land at Wote town,” he added.
Those present included Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, County Executive Committee Member for Devolution Nicolas Nzioka, his counterpart for Gender Eng. Sabastian Kyoni, Mbooni Sub-county Deputy County Commissioner Stanlause Apwoka, Wananchi and other government officials.
By Patrick Nyakundi
