[PHOTOS] First Lady flags off 300 tons of relief food to semi-arid areas

First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto on Friday flagged off 300 tons of relief food to support families affected by prolonged drought.

Speaking at Parklands Sports Club, she commended the food relief donors for their support towards Kenyans facing famine. 

"The first leg of the food distribution will be done by the Kenya Red Cross. It has nine trucks, each loaded with 10 tons of food destined for nine different counties,"  Rachel said.

She also commended the Rotary Club of Parklands and the Sunrise Walkers Club, led by Dr Rasik Kantaria, and urged the partners present to support the President's target of growing 15 billion trees by 2032.

On Thursday, at least six people were reported dead of hunger in Turkana as a result of prolonged drought.

Turkana administration says the drought situation is at an alarming stage and has affected nearly 800,000 residents with the Global Acute Malnutrition rate rising to 34.8 per cent.

Martin Lokeyen, assistant Chief of Turkwel Location in Loima Sub County said the ravaging hunger occasioned by famine has led to the death of six people in Muruese village, Loima.

He said children, women and the elderly are the most affected by drought and hunger bites.

“Recently, I was informed that people are dying. I heard people of Muruese have been ravaged by hunger and as a result, a woman died and his husband was about to die,” he said.