The government has issued an emergency relief food worth Sh200 million to hunger stricken families in Marsabit County.
Marsabit Governor Mohammed Ali assured those afflicted by prolonged drought that nobody would be neglected and urged for peaceful co-existence among local communities.
Ali who flagged off the consignment consisting of 1,000 tons of rice, 400 tons of beans and 6,000 cartons of cooking oil pointed out that all parts of the county were experiencing famine.
The governor noted that the government was using enormous resources amid scarcity to secure relief aid for the needy and warned against any attempts to divert the consignment.
He instructed the county executive member (CEC) for administration Mohammed Omari and the members of the county assembly to closely monitor the distribution in order to ensure that the foodstuffs reached the intended beneficiaries.
“I don’t want to hear any mismanagement of this donation,” he said, while cautioning that those charged with the responsibility of distributing the food ration will be held accountable for any loss.
He described the drought situation in the county as dire and asked the MCAs to be vigilant and ensure that no diversion takes place.
The intervention comes soon after the Lake Turkana Wind Power company rolled out a Sh12.8 million emergency school feeding Programme to assist 13,000 pupils in 60 primary schools in Laisamis constituency.
The governor appealed to the county residents to love and always accommodate each other by sharing the available pasture and water during this time of need.
Speaking during the same occasion, Marsabit Central Deputy County Commissioner David Saruni said the government was not only providing food aid to those deprived of their livelihood by lack of rain, but was also addressing the nutritional needs of the affected.
Every household targeted in the wards across the county would be receiving a package of 15 kilograms of rice, 6 kilograms of beans and one liter of cooking oil.
By Sebastian Miriti
