Baringo County Governor Stanley Kiptis has appealed to the government to devolve National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) as a way of enhancing service delivery in counties faced with perennial drought and hunger.
Governor Kiptis noted that it was easier to carry out drought mitigation measures at county level when NDMA which is charged with the responsibility of fighting drought and its effects is devolved adding that funding for the devolution should not be an impediment.
“We are all aware that NDMA has many ways of getting money so please get us even 25 or 20 percent of the same. That is what I want to appeal to NDMA. Give us something,” said Kiptis who spoke in Kabarnet town while signing a joint agreement with World Food Programme Country Director Annalisa Conte.
Kiptis lamented that disasters associated with drought especially famine had dire consequences which overwhelmed affected county governments hence his call to have NDMA devolved deserves urgent consideration by the national government.
The governor further noted that the county which is largely arid and semi-arid has not had rains for the last six months making most water points to dry up. This, he said, had aggravated the drought situation thus posing a serious threat to human beings and livestock.
“We had actually reduced the walking distance to water points to almost three kilometres but now the drought is drawing us back to more than 10 to 15 kilometres in some regions,” said Kiptis.
Deputy Governor Jacob Chepkwony lauded WFP for intervening saying it has helped train county engineers on ways of enhancing speedy project implementation that meet the required standards.
Chepkwony noted that the initiatives by WFP were godsend because they have provided long term solutions in mitigating drought and other calamities associated with it through structured ways they have been put in place.
County Deputy Speaker Ameja Zelemoi also praised WFP for being instrumental in assisting Baringo and other regions of Kenya faced with perennial drought and famine.
He urged relief food agencies to slot in a budget of transportation saying the relief supplies delayed to reach the needy people in far flung areas of Baringo and risked theft at storage points.
By Vincent Miningwo/Joshua Kibet
