- The rains have failed for the last four seasons with the weatherman predicting minimal rains this season too.
- The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance stood at 4.5 million.
Image: ONYANGO OCHIENG
The drought situation in the country is affecting school attendance in parts of Kilifi and Kwale counties with schools recording about 70 per cent of class attendance.
At Maereni Primary School in Kaloleni, Kilifi county, the school has been recording a daily attendance of about 259 pupils despite a population of 370 students.
The situation is similar in Mbungoni Primary School which has a population of 550 pupils.
“Most parents in this part of Kilifi depend on farming, but as you are aware, the rains have failed for about four seasons now making it difficult to provide food for their children.
“This has been worsened by the tough economic times too,” said Wycliffe Kichwangi, a teacher at Mareni Primary School.
Kichwangi said the hunger situation is affecting class attendance and retention, threatening the overall performance of the school.
The rains have failed for the last four seasons with the weatherman predicting minimal rains this season too.
“The greatest challenge has been keeping the children in school due to the hunger situation being experienced here in Kilifi.”
“Even for you as an adult, it is sometimes difficult for you to go to work on an empty stomach, you can imagine what the children are going through,” Kichwangi said.
According to the 2022 long rains food and nutritional security assessment report released by the National Drought Management Authority at State House Nairobi in February, about 6 million people in 32 counties are affected by the prolonged drought and acute malnutrition.
This is due to a fifth consecutive poor rainfall season especially in ASAL counties.
The report indicated the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance stood at 4.5 million, with the drought situation expected to worsen in 21 of the 23 arid and semi-arid counties.
The report further indicated that Kilifi, Mandera, Samburu, Marsabit, Wajir, Turkana, Kajiado, Kitui and Isiolo counties were in the alarm stage.
Other counties including Taita Taveta, Lamu, Meru, Embu, Narok, Nyeri and Makueni were in the alert phase.
The report also indicated that the situation is likely to worsen further in the next three months.
“During this drought season, many parents are unable to provide food for their children, this has really affected education in this area.”
“However, the National government is expected to soon donate food to the community through my office in the course of next week,” said Martin Mjape, chief for Pangani-Maereni location in Kaloleni.
The dire situation in Kilifi and Kwale has attracted the attention of the Devki Group of Companies who now plan to feed about 3,500 children in the two counties.
On Saturday, the Simba Cement Limited Company located in Bondora, Kaloleni a subsidiary of Devki Group of Companies, launched a school feeding programme that will see 1,000 children from Kaloleni receive food.
Addressing the media, Peter Paul, the head of administration Devki Group of Companies said this was part of their CSR activity to support the community.
“We are in a tough season having gone for four seasons without rain, the drought is biting hard that’s why we decided to provide food to these schools and orphanages.”
"I want to extend my gratitude to our group chairman Dr Narendra Raval and the board of directors for accepting to support the community,” Paul said.
Mbungoni Primary School with a population of 550 pupils, Maereni Primary School 370 together with Restoration Orphanage and Tawheed Madrassa and Orphanage Home in Kaloleni each having 30 children, benefited from the programme.
The company donated bags of maize, beans, cooking oil, salt and cutleries enough to sustain the children for the next two months.
“I have informed the managements of these schools and orphanage homes to inform us at least one week ahead before the supply runs out so that we can replenish them with another two month’s supply,” Paul said.
He said they are spending about Sh3 million every two months for the programme in Kaloleni.
“This aid is going to go a long way to boost the morale of our children and will improve the school performance because children will be present at school daily,” said another teacher at Maereni Primary.
In Samburu, Kwale county, Paul said the recently launched Sh50 billion Devki Steel Mills Company is supporting another 2,500 children in four primary schools and an orphanage home.
The schools include Bofu Primary with 123 students, Mwangoloto Primary (504), Gora Primary (631), Kinango Primary (789) together with Tumaini Bwaga orphanage home which has 45 children.
The company, Paul said, spends about Sh3.5 million every two months for the programme.
He added that they also plan to launch a clean water distribution exercise to assist the community.
“We have also initiated a scholarship programme to support bright needy students go to school,” he said.
-Edited by SKanyara