Senators have called out the government to declare the ongoing drought as a national disaster.
While speaking from the Senate they urged the government to deploy the military to save lives in Turkana and Baringo counties.
According to Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula, “As this is happening, farmers in the breadbasket areas cannot sell their produce. If you go to parts of Western Kenya, women sit by the roadside with produce the whole day without selling.”
In addition he added saying that Turkana county gets the second highest allocation from the government and even without the help of the national government, it can afford food subsidies for residents.
“We don’t want this cycle of embarrassment of people dying of hunger to be part of our history. The Turkana government should freeze development programmes and save lives.”
To echo his sentiment Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen said, “The problem is not that there is no enough food. It is silly that people should die because we cannot move food from Kitale to Turkana,”
Siaya Senator James Orengo further said, “It is a matter of fact people are dying of famine and hunger in Turkana. In the immediate term, we hope people will see some intervention to help alleviate the situation. It is terrible that just next to Turkana, there is a granary of Kenya.”
Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio said denying death is an insult to the suffering of Turkana residents.
“These denials seem to be in the DNA of the government,” Poghisio said.
Turkana, Baringo, Moyale Town, Marsabit, Makueni and Tana River counties are among the worst-hit areas.
It has been reported that about 20 people have died of hunger.