Residents in Juja constituency, Kiambu county have decried looming hunger in the area after floods swept crops in their farms.
The torrential rains have devastated most parts of the country threatening to inflict more pain in Kenya’s food basket.
Residents told journalists that the region, which has few arable areas since it’s a semi-arid area, stares at hunger since most farmers will have less or no harvest this season noting that the floods have left a trail of destruction.
Speaking during a food donation drive that saw thousands receive relief food rations in an exercise spearheaded by area MP George Koimburi and Deputy County Commissioner Charles Mureithi, the residents said they had high hopes of enjoying a bumper harvest.
“At the onset of rains we hoped we would harvest enough food but it later became torrential which flooded our farms and destroyed the crops we had planted. With the current harsh economic times and with no hope of harvesting anything from our farms, we fear that hunger is inevitable in this region,” said resident Teresia Wambui.
MP Koimburi said most residents within his constituency have been affected by the floods with tens having relocated from their homes to safer grounds.
As a result of the havoc, he said most of them are hunger-stricken and require support from the government to survive the current hardships.
So far, the constituency has received 580 bags of rice and beans from the national government for distribution to residents, a support Koimburi urged the government to continue extending to cushion his constituents from starvation.
“We have received some food relief from the government but from what you have seen today, it is not enough. We urge the government to intervene and continue extending this support to our hunger-stricken people whose farms were destroyed by floods,” the MP urged.
The MP at the same time called on the government and well-wishers to support the relocated residents with beddings and other items. Those displaced are camping in schools and religious institutions.
Every beneficiary in the food drive received 2kgs of rice and a similar portion of beans to sustain them for at least two days.
