The Samburu County government has distributed food worth Sh. 44.6 million to 540 Early Childhood Education (ECD) centers across the county.
Speaking after flagging off the consignment outside his office in Maralal town, Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit said that 212 tons of rice, 40 tons of beans, 11 tons of cooking oil and 7 tons of salt will be distributed to all ECD centers in the 15 wards of Samburu County.
Lelelit added that the food will help keep 43,846 children in school up to the end of first term, especially during the ongoing drought that has continued to hit the region.
“Samburu is facing the worst drought in over 50 years due to the ripple effect of climate change and purchase of such food items for our ECD is part of our drought mitigation strategies,” he said.
The long rains assessment report by the National Disaster Management Authority projects showed that an additional 1.6 million children are at high risk of dropping out of school as schools reopen for the first term as the hunger crisis worsens.
The report also indicated that Samburu County was among the worst affected by school drop outs, with 64,818 children aged between 4 to 17 years having dropped out of school.
At the same time, Lelelit commended the education docket for purchasing food items at the beginning of the term adding that it will improve new enrollments.
The governor added that plans are underway to equip all ECD classrooms with furniture and modern learning materials.
By Robert Githu and Petikas Lelendu
