Turkana residents have promised to kill chiefs who fail to disclose deaths from starvation
The warning comes barely a day after Deputy President William Ruto dismissed claims of deaths by starvation in Turkana and Baringo counties.
The government blames illness, not starvation, as well as poor food distribution.
DP Ruto rubbished reports people have died of hunger due to drought, saying the country has enough food. "The problem is how to distribute it to the affected people," he said.
Eleven people have been reported dead from starvation in Baringo and Turkana.
Residents of Kang’irisae village led by senior elder Samuel Imana have warned chiefs who try to please the government and deny starvation deaths that they "will face the wrath of the community".
"It’s sad our government wants to run away from the truth, but the fact is people are starving to death. We shall punish chiefs hiding information from the public and the media," Imana told the Star yesterday.
He said it's necessary to "expose the rot in the county government that has failed to curb the drought, despite receiving huge funding from the National Treasury for development."
Kang’irisae resident Isaiah Lopeyok said chiefs and people hiding information from the public are "enemies of the community".
He said more food and support from humanitarian organisations and the national government was needed in Turkana.
Resident Mercy Ekuwomof Nakaale village said Interior Cabinet secretary Fred Matiang’i should congratulate chiefs for the "hard task" of collecting, confirming and reporting deaths from starvation.
"People are living a good life in Nairobi while we are starving, then they loudly come on the media to dismiss reports of deaths. It's sad. If people are not dying of hunger, why are trucks loaded with food coming here? ’’ She asked
The county and national governments have "failed terribly to fix its own mess and the world should know hunger is killing people".
A week ago IKang’irisae senior chief John Ekwar narrowly escaped 'punishment' from the residents for not confirming and admitting that two people died after starving for several days.
"You either come out clearly and confirm to the media and public the deaths of two people, including a woman and a man in Kang’irisae, or we punish you for injustice," one resident said.
iChief Ekwar later confirmed to the media he is only aware of a woman who died of hunger on March 5.
Edited by Rosemary Wangui
