Mwingi residents plead for food as drought worsens

Residents of Mwingi North are urging the state to send them food aid.

The residents of Ngomeni ward face hunger due to the prevailing drought.

Most parts of Kitui county are currently facing acute food and water shortages, with most residents forced to trek for kilometers in search of water.

The David Musila Foundation donated 400 bales of maize and wheat flour on Wednesday.

The donations benefited over 3,000 residents, each taking home four kgs of flour.

Resident Mary Mwendwa who spoke after receiving the food donation, said most of their crops didn’t do well.

She said they only managed to harvest ndengu (green grams) which they later sold to raise school fees for their children.

"Following the inadequate rainfall experienced, we harvested very little and have since exhausted our produce," she said.

Mwendwa who lauded the David Musila foundation for their generosity said the government should supply them with relief food.

Ngomeni assistant county commissioner Michael Muthui said residents should stop selling their food produce at a throw-away price.

He said they should store them in granaries for future consumption, since we are in a dry season.

"I want to urge residents not to sell this food as many are staring starvation," Muthui said.

He said the foundation should consider distributing more food in the near future.

A drought report by the government said about 3.1 million Kenyans are in dire need of food aid.

Some 500,000 are in emergency phase while 2.6 million are in the crisis phase.

Majority of Ngomeni residents also incurred losses after their farm produce were destroyed by stray elephants.

The elephants have been roaming the area for over two months.

Residents said they are still calling upon KWS to evict the elephants from their farms.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)