Drought-stricken families in Northern frontier counties receive state funds

More than 100,000 families have begun benefitting from the Sh558 million cash transfer program launched by the government to cushion them against drought in the northern frontier counties.

Each of the families from Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera, and Wajir counties are going to get Sh5,400 monthly.

Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa said the funds were disbursed by the government in August this year and already the families have begun receiving the cash.

Speaking during the launch of the Relief food distribution and Hunger Safety Net program in Habaswein Wajir county, Wamalwa said the program will go a long way in alleviating hunger and vulnerability by delivering regular unconditional cash during the ongoing drought crisis.

He said so far technology has come in handy to minimize wastage of funds in transporting and disbursing Relief as with a click of a button the beneficiary is able to receive the cash and quickly buy food of his or her choice.

Wamalwa said plans are underway to expand the program from the four pilot counties to 12 Semi-Arid counties as a short-term mitigation intervention in the ongoing drought by the National Government.

"The aim is to make sure that Kenyans are cushioned from the devastating effects of drought after the president declared it a National Disaster that has claimed millions of livestock in over 10 counties," he said.

Wamalwa said currently the grounds are still clear with no vegetation in sight leaving residents and livestock with no source of water as the last drop of rain was sited last year in March.

The CS  said the only hope for the drought victims is to get water through tracking.

"Out of the Sh2 billion shillings disbursed, we are dispatching livestock and human relief and water tracking till it rains again," he said.

The CS was accompanied by area leaders including Wajir Governor Ahmed Mukhtar, Wajir South Member of Parliament Mohamed Shiek who wad the disaster who hailed the government's effort for coming with the short-term interventions in cushioning the affected population.

They said the disaster was a humanitarian crisis that seeks multi-sectoral intervention from both levels of government as well as aid agencies in addressing the situation.

Mukhtar said the ongoing voter listing in Wajir county has been hit by the drought disaster.

"The ongoing trend is worrying because the affected population has no time to abandon their livelihoods which lies in their animals to turn up for voter registration," he said.

The governor urged the IEBC to extend their timelines to another month or plan for another registration when the situation has normalized.

The MP said the voter registration is witnessing a low turnout because most of the pastoralists have moved from the region in search of pasture.

He said it was wrong for the electoral body to start the mass voter registration at a time when the country was facing a disaster.

"The process is set to fail because they will not get the set targets, people are in a crisis and  IEBC failed to factor or consult before kicking off the campaign," he said.

Edited by D Tarus