Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula yesterday urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to declare famine a national disaster.
In a statement, he called for the deployment of officers from the KDF, the police and other government institutions to supply food and medical services to the worst-hit regions.
Twelve counties are bearing the brunt of ravaging drought. Several residents have died and 1.2 million others are starving.
The Bungoma senator accused the national and county governments of gross negligence and failing to end hunger. The county gets huge annual allocations from the Treasury.
He said food wastage is rampant in some parts of Kenya due to lack of storage facilities and it is up to the government to ensure the country is food-secure.
“Everywhere you go in other parts of the country like Western, Nyanza and Central, North Rift and South Rift, women are sitting in the sun from morning to evening with very healthy produce. They include maize, vegetables, beans, carrots and many more, which can be delivered to the affected parts of the country. Instead, they will overstay and rot.”
Wetang'ula said the current disaster is man-made due and the government is to blame for failing to plan and implement projects that can make people drought-resilient.
He questioned why the government has not exploited the large volume of fresh underground water in Turkana to support food production and improve livelihoods.
