The government, in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), has rolled out a food security and resilience project in the drought- and disaster-prone areas of Garissa County to ensure that residents were safe in times of adversity.
Head of the Project, Mr. James Muthama, said the project, which is in its early stages, will help the government identify women and youth groups to sensitise and offer them tips on self-sufficiency and food production.
He said the project was also tailored to counter persistent feuds and conflicts pitting communities over grazing and water rights and is expected to complement similar initiatives and interventions spearheaded by the World Bank that support the government’s current Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Muthama said the partnership encompasses various stakeholders with similar roles, including actors under the State Department of Crops Development and Agricultural Research (SDC&AR) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), among others.
Ijara Sub-county Director of Livestock and Veterinary Services John Koskey said they had enlisted youth and women groups operating in the area, including those involved in milk vending, restocking, farming, and butchery owners.
He said other mitigation measures would cover areas of wildlife and livestock disease to ensure the safety of consumers through regular inspection of possible outbreaks of communicable diseases.
Ijara Deputy County Commissioner Wachira Champon called on non-governmental organisations and other development partners operating to forward their respective lines of operations and work plans to the local steering groups to avoid duplication of roles.
He decried that some non-governmental organisations were yet to present their programmes and advised them to do so for purposes of synergy and efficiency in the use of public funds.
By Mohamed Dahir
