State to allocate more resources towards drought mitigation -Duale

Defence Cabinet secretary Aden Duale on Saturday said the National government will allocate more resources to mitigate the current drought that is ravaging 29 ASAL counties across the country.

Speaking in Shimbirey, Sankuri ward, Balambala sub-county, Garissa, when he launched relief food distribution for Garissa county, Duale said the country was experiencing one of its worst droughts in decades.

This, he said, has prompted the government to take measures to ensure no Kenyan dies of hunger.

The country has received low rainfall in the last three years culminating in the current severe drought.

According to the Government, 4.3 million Kenyans are in dire need of food assistance.

Of these, 3.1 million people are in the crisis phase and 1.2 million are in the emergency stage.

Initially, the drought had affected 24 counties but the number has risen to 29 with Garissa being at the alert stage.

“As a country, we are experiencing one of the worst droughts in decades after rains failed in the last three successive years. Our people are staring at starvation and are equally losing their animals in thousands. this call for extraordinary measures from the government,” said Duale.

Duale said will in the coming few days, State will allocate more resources towards drought mitigation.

He added that the government will cut on development budget to fund the programs.

The former Garissa township MP further said that the government through the KMC will enhance the animal offtake program to save livestock farmers from further losing their animals.

The programme will see the government buy over 7 million animals that will be slaughtered packaged and distributed to famine-stricken families, schools and lactating mothers.

Duale while thanking the donors for their support in mitigating the drought also called on ASAL counties to also prioritize assisting drought victims by allocating more resources towards assisting drought victims.

Already Marsabit, one of the worst hit counties, has completely suspended all development projects to focus their efforts towards assisting drought victims.

On water tracking, Duale through the area county commissioner urged the county steering committee to allocate more water tracks to Lagdera sub-county which is one of the worst-hit sub-counties in Garissa.

Duale said sub-counties like Ijara, parts of Fafi and Balambala although they are experiencing drought borders the River Tana and may not be that badly off.

“I want to appeal to the country steering group that even if they distribute water to drought victims, they should allocate more tracks to Lagdera because it has no source of water. Dadaab which is equally affected has several boreholes,” he said.

On his part, Lagdera MP Abdikadir Mohamed stressed the need to increase water tracking noting that the relief without water will make less impact.

“If you give somebody food and there is no water to cook the same food or water to drink then it will minimally help. My humble appeal is that relief food distribution and pellets to animals should go hand in hand with water tracking,” Mohamed said.

Governor Nathif Jama commended the national government’s intervention in the current drought noting that his administration will also prioritize the same.

Garissa county commissioner Boaz Cherutich said the government through the chiefs will take stock of all school-aged children who have dropped out of school because of the drought.

He said the government will coordinate the programs and bring on board other partners to ensure that the program succeeds.

“This exercise is aimed at ensuring all school-going children are back in school. The government will also enhance school feeding programs so that those in school are retained,” he said.

The launch that was led by president William Ruto was carried out in 13 areas in the affected counties.