•MP Ouda said out of the more than 140,000 people in the constituency, 90,000 should be supplied with relief food.
•He launched food donations targeting 8,000 vulnerable households.
More than 90,000 vulnerable people in Kisumu Central are in dire need of food as the county grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kisumu Central MP Fred Ouda said his constituents required urgent food donations as they were hit hard by the effects of the virus.
He noted that out of the more than 140,000 people in the constituency 90,000 should be supplied with relief food.
Slums such as Manyatta, Kondele, Obunga, Nyawita and Nyalenda in the city have thousands of residents living from hand to mouth.
Ouda spoke on Sunday while launching the second phase of food distribution to needy people to cushion them from the effects of the virus. The donations included maize, rice, beans and cooking oil.
“We are in a very difficult time in our country due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has hit the world. We are doing all that we can to support our people,” he said.
In the first phase, the MP gave food to 5,000 households with another 8,000 targeted in the second phase, which kicked off on Saturday.
Apart from food, residents were also supplied with face masks and sanitiser.
“This is my personal initiative together with my team and friends to help cushion the less fortunate in our society,” Ouda said.
The food initiative targets youths, disabled persons, women and old people across the constituency.
“We cannot feed everybody but I will still go out of my way to reach more needy people,” Ouda said.
The MP said they strictly adhered to health measures during the distribution as required by the security agencies.
He asked constituents to adhere to the strict guidelines by the Ministry of Health in combating coronavirus.
“Let us heed the government directives. They are not meant to punish us but to safeguard our lives,” Ouda said.
“The Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said if we treat this disease casually it will treat as abnormally.”
He, however, urged police to enforce the curfew with caution and not to harass residents.
“I am appealing to police not use excessive force but to make people understand the need for curfew and guidelines,” Ouda said.
Residents, he said, should understand that the government was dealing with a difficult situation in the country.
Edited by Henry Makori