Most Kenyans have been fed up with the country’s administration. Led by David Ndii, an economist and political intellect, Kenyans promised not to help in any form or manner to their fellow Kenyans who were starving to death in Arid and Semi Arid Lands.
In this age and time, almost everything that happens is more than likely to find its way to social media, and the #TurkanaDrought was no exception.
Pictures of people malnutrition were doing rounds all over social media as the government came out strongly denying that there were people dying from hunger.
Rachel Ruto
Deputy President William Ruto’s wife Rachael Ruto on Wednesday took trailer trucks with bags of food stuff to Turkana County.
Turkana county is among the most affected regions in the country where several people have allegedly died due to famine.
Mike Sonko
In a separate incident, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko also announced that together with his Sonko Rescue Team, they will be transporting food items to the Turkana region.
Posting on his social media pages, Sonko noted: “As a Good Deeds Ambassador, my team is repackaging food and other stuffs which will be distributed to Turkana County to save Kenyans who are suffering from hunger.
“I call upon other leaders to also do something and help alleviate hunger. The State has offered Ksh2bn ton the drought affected counties,” he added, captioning pictures of hundreds of bags of food items.
Additionally, in response to the call for by Kenyans for the government to take action and save the dying citizens in Turkana, the Council of Governors also revealed that their counties have been able to distribute a total of 11,740 bags of maize, 1,500 bags of beans and 8,896 bags of rice to the hunger-stricken households.
In a statement signed by the Council of Governors (CoG) chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, the county chiefs said that every Kenyan is entitled to have ‘adequate food of acceptable quality and the freedom from hunger.’
There acts have followed dire cries from Kenyans after several people were reported dead in Baringo and Turkana counties.
Questions have also been raised over where the Ksh2 billion claimed to have been released by the government has gone as most affected areas are yet to receive aid.
On Wednesday, DP Ruto insisted that no Kenyan has starved to death, dismissing reports on 11 deaths.
However, Kenyans couldn’t take any of his words as most of them accused him of trying to ‘play PR’ while citizens are dying.
Governors
Governors have said that their counties have been able to distribute a total of 11,740 bags of maize, 1,500 bags of beans and 8,896 bags of rice to hunger-stricken households
In a statement signed by the Council of Governors (CoG) chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, the county chiefs said that every Kenyan is entitled to have ‘adequate food of acceptable quality and the freedom from hunger.’
“The affected county governments have mobilized water buses to distribute water to residents in the most affected sub counties,” added the statement.
Also procured by the county bosses are 290,518 bales of animal feeds for the affected areas. In addition to that, the CoG affirmed that 241,938 children were immunized.
Oparanya further appreciated the National Government for the “steps being taken to ensure lived are saved in the affected Counties.”
He also called upon the National Government to partner with the various County Government in establishment of long-term investments that will build community resilience in the wake of climate change.
“The National Government in Consultation with County Governments must come up with a lasting solution so that Kenyans don’t suffer,” the statement reads.
On Monday, the national government said there was no cause for alarm over the drought.
Deputy President William Ruto stated Ksh2 billion had been released to avert the situation.
The county government statement comes as ‘too little too late’ to most Kenyans, as several people have been reported dead in Baringo and Turkana counties raising the question where the food has been distributed.
Two more people were reported dead in Baringo due to famine, bringing the number to 17 in the county according to Silale Ward Representative Nelson Lotela.
“I can take the provincial administration to the homesteads of all the people who have succumbed to hunger. Why are they disputing our reports yet we are right? They have even gone to the extent of intimidating us and the local chiefs for giving the reports to the media,” Mr Lotela said.
Senior government officials have been on record claiming that no one has died of hunger, depsite photos of emaciated people in the counties emerging in several media outlets.