29 year old Phineas Kairemia Muthui has been arrested following the recovery of several bags of Government of Kenya relief food.
Directorate of criminal Investigations based in Imenti North found the rice from Kaithe market in Meru at Muthui’s store. The rice is now being held as exhibit.
@DCI_Kenya Detectives based in Imenti North working on intelligence today recovered several bags of GOK Relief Food (RICE)from Kaithe Market in Meru & arrested 29-year-old Phineas Kairemia Muthui in whose store the RICE was found. Rice kept as Exhibit & suspect in lawful custody. pic.twitter.com/F0GHzgdDFV
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) November 1, 2019
This heist closely follows Governor Kiraitu Murungi pledge that in three years Meru will have enough food and there will be no need for famine relief.
“My top priority is food security. You cannot do anything on an empty stomach. You can’t even teach when hungry. We must have enough food,” Kiraitu said.
The governor addressed farmers groups at Thiiri centre in Imenti North.
“In three years there will be no relief food coming to Meru. You will never ask for food,” he said.
He urged farmers to practice crop diversification to as a way to deal with failure of of crops and lack of ready markets.
Populations in the arid and semi-arid land (ASAL) areas are either facing a food crisis or an emergency situation, National Drought Management Authority revealed.
The most affected counties are Turkana, Mandera, Baringo, Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit and Tana River, whose residents are predominantly herders. Others are Kitui, Makueni, Kilifi and Meru North, which are in the marginal agricultural and agro-pastoral regions.