The Samburu County Government, today, launched drought intervention activities that will cost Sh 19.8 million through the Emergency Locust Response Program (ELRP).
Speaking after flagging-off water trucking services to the drought-stricken Samburu North and Samburu East Sub-counties, County Executive Committee Member (CEC) for Agriculture, Livestock, Veterinary Services and Fisheries, Ely Loldepe, presented a Sh 8 million cheque to Community Driven Development Committees (CDDC) in Samburu East and Samburu North-Sub counties that are supporting the services. The water trucks will make 120 trips to transport water in this exercise.
Loldepe said that 32 CDDCs from Samburu East and Samburu North will each receive Sh 250,000 for animal feeds to cushion their main source of livelihood from drought.
Loldepe added that caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) vaccine will be administered to goats and sheep while goat poxmass vaccination will be undertaken in Samburu North and Samburu East Sub-counties at cost of Sh 2.5 million.
“The CCPP vaccine is essential for the increased production of goats in a cost-effective manner and the prevention of animal-to-animal transmission for both domestic and wild animals,” he said.
At the same time 13 water tanks for water storage and water harvesting were issued to households’ in Nachola and Angata Nanyukie villages in Samburu North Sub County. 6000 mango seedlings and 6,000 orange seedlings as well as farm inputs will be distributed in Nyiro Ward.
Samburu County Assembly Speaker, Fred Lengees, urged the CDDCs to use part of the money to construct concrete water tanks for water harvesting at the same time urging the county government to support women groups with poultry and beekeeping activities in order to improve their living standards.
By Esther Macharia and Diana Muthoni
