Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok has said his administration has set aside Sh350 million to mitigate the harsh drought afflicting the county.
The current budget has Sh200 million for drought mitigation and Sh150 million for emergencies.
Nanok said his government has procured 36,000 bags of maize, 10,000 bags of beans and 10,000 twenty-litre jerricans of cooking oil for distribution to the affected residents.
Over 70 per cent of Turkanas depend on livestock and as the drought intensifies, many herders and their livestock have moved to Uganda in search of water and pasture.
"As drought condition worsens in the region, it has increased insecurity brought by cattle rustling along grazing corridor," Nanok told the press in his Lodwar office.
He said locusts have depleted the vegetation and destroyed pasture. Water shortage has also greatly affected residents and their animals.
"The current response is meant to cushion the majority of the people affected by the devastating drought even as the county appeals for support from national government and humanitarian organisations. The county will continue to plan and put in place emergency intervention measures," the governor said.
Nanok said other interventions include provision of food supplements, screening cases for vaccination and drug provision in all health facilities with support from partners.
The county has bought 3,000 litres of insecticides to control locusts.
The administration has distributed tools and seeds to farmers to plant when the rains start.
The governor said county has dispatched a technical team to repair broken boreholes. Trucks are delivering water to areas experiencing severe shortage.
The governor said he has no information of drought-related deaths as reported by the media.
