MPs from the hunger-stricken counties of Turkana, Baringo and West Pokot have asked the government to distribute funds meant to fight starvation through a cash transfer mechanism modelled alongside that of the Kenya Red Cross.
The seven MPs, led by Asman Kamama (Tiaty), also called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to declare drought a national disaster.
The lawmakers asked Devolution and Planning secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri to channel resources to starving families through the cash transfer mechanism instead of sending relief food, which takes long to reach affected families.
“If the government targets each family with a Sh6,000 cash transfer, they will be able to quickly buy food from shopping centres to alleviate the suffering and ensure that nobody dies from starvation,” Mr Kamama told a news conference at Parliament buildings in Nairobi.
He said distribution of relief supplies through the provincial administration has proved ineffective.
“Instead of supplying relief food where mothers sit for hours waiting for debes (tins) of maize, we should take the route of cash transfers where each family should be given Sh6,000 to buy food in shops like the case of the Red Cross in Kilifi County.
“We want the government to hand over supply of relief supplies to the Kenya Red Cross which has capacity to ensure each family is fed. They have staff and capacity to supply food unlike the government which hires lorries, takes food to chiefs then starts distributing,” Mr Kamama said.
He said the situation in Baringo, Turkana, West Pokot , Wajir, Marsabit and the upper North Rift had worsened given failure of rains in the last eight months.
“The entire North Rift region is facing serious drought that is accompanied by hunger, starvation, shortage of water and lack of food.
“The situation is so dire, so bad, so serious in Baringo and especially in Tiaty sub-county and lower sides of Baringo north, entire Baringo south and Mogotio area which have been badly affected by drought,” Mr Kamama said.
Turkana North MP Christopher Nakuleu said the situation is also the same in Turkana, West Pokot, Samburu, Marsabit, Isiolo and parts of North Eastern.
“As we speak, we are calling upon national and county governments of the affected areas to move with speed and provide massive supplies of relief food to the people of upper North Rift because some parts of Tiaty constituency people are eating wild fruits.
“This is not the age and time when people are supposed to be eating wild food. This is an affair of 400 years ago,” Mr Kamama said.
He said despite the government providing specific interventions, it should declare hunger and drought a national disaster and pull all resources within its possession to alleviate the suffering.
“If it will not rain for next one month, we will lose all livestock especially cattle and what follows next is that people will start dying.
“The government should ensure that nobody dies of drought. It has contingency funds and we want this money to be taken to the people,” he said.
The MPs asked the government to deploy water bowsers to supply the commodity to strategic areas including schools which have been closed in far flung areas.
“We also want to call upon pastoralists to ensure that as they look for water and pasture, they must maintain law and order. There is temptation of harassing locals. We call on all to forget and desist from disturbing or attacking neighbours in pretext of looking for water and pasture,” the MPs said.
Baringo North MP William Cheptumo said three locations in his constituency has recorded animal deaths and asked the government to move with speed to rescue starving families.
Kapenguria MP Samuel Moroto asked the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) to open its farms in Trans Nzoia to herders from Turkana and West Pokot counties. “Our livestock cannot die when there are huge tracts of land in ADC Chepchoina and Namanjalala. If they don’t allow our livestock and they die, we will ensure that we steal from them to replace our stock once the drought is over,” Mr Moroto said.
Mr Nakuleu said Turkana herders have crossed into South Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia in search for water and pasture.
The MPs urged the government to develop dams in the affected areas to enable residents irrigate their farms and secure water and pasture for livestock as a long term solution.
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