Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu has said her administration will "do anything to meet every household at its point of need".
In her Madaraka Day speech read by her deputy Wathe Nzau, Ngilu said residents will not suffer adverse effects of drought and famine.
“I must note that our county did not receive adequate rainfall in the March-May season, and we are now staring at the possibility of a prolonged drought,” she said, raising an alarm over possible famine and serious water shortage.
Ngilu, however, assured residents that her government would do its best to see to it that all households have access to adequate food and water.
During the occasion where President Uhuru Kenyatta's message was read by acting county commissioner Jackson Ole Chuta, Ngilu said she would partner with the national government to take measures to cushion Kitui people against the prolonged drought.
“Together with the national government and our development partners, we will shortly draft a contingency plan to ensure all households have access to food through this season,” she said.
Ngilu said her administration will truck water to people in remote areas.
She, however, called on households to put in place own contingency measures including prudent utilisation of any food reserves and reduction of livestock herds that could suffer starvation.
She further said her government planned to invest in providing adequate water and ensuring food security.
“As I have announced in the past, my intention is to have at least 70 per cent of our people having access to clean water by the end of 2020,” the governor said .
She lauded Kitui MCAs for agreeing to her plans to channel at least 50 per cent of the funds to the Community Level Infrastructure Development Programme towards putting up community water collection and distribution structures.
