State should boost relief aid to drought-hit counties — Abdullahi

The state should upscale food distribution to families hit by drought, Wajir governor aspirant Siyad Abdullahi has said.

He said many families are struggling to put a meal on the table despite the Muslim community observing the holy month of Ramadhan.

The aspirant contesting on a Wiper ticket spoke on Tuesday while distributing rice, cooking oil, maize flour and sugar to single mothers.

“The struggles our people are going through especially in the villages is saddening. Families are sleeping hungry,” Abdullahi said.

He said as leaders they can only do so much in terms of assisting those affected.

"The biggest help should come from the government which has the mandate of ensuring that it feeds its hungry population,” Abdullahi said.

He said residents, who majorly depend on livestock, lost a big number of their herds during two seasons of failed rain.

A prolonged dry spell with suppressed rainfall has continued to ravage the county in the last four months.

A spot check in the subcounties revealed a dire situation, with livestock carcasses strewn all over. Even drought-tolerant animals like camels were not spared.

According to the April NDMA report all six subcounties received suppressed rainfall during the October-December and March-April seasons.

This, has put more pressure on the existing boreholes and water pans.

Abdullahi said the national government should seriously embark on assisting pastoralists in restocking animals lost during drought.

“The government should assist these families with some cash to buy a few animals and start afresh. That way, they will be able to put food on the table and meet other basic needs since goats and sheep reproduce quite fast,” he said.

The aspirant said school heads should also be considerate of the plight of families who are still reeling from the effects of drought.

“Schools are re-opening this week and parents will be required to pay fees. The situation is worse for parents with children in secondary schools. We hope that teachers wont be in a hurry to send such needy students back home,” he said.

Abdullahi said the government should bring back the school feeding programme in primary school, to help retain children in schools.

(Edited Bilha Makokha)