At least 6,000 vulnerable families in Kakuyuni and Jilore wards of Malindi Constituency are set to receive an early Christmas after the government announced the commencement of a livestock off-take programme.
Malindi Deputy County Commissioner, Mr Thuo wa Ngugi, said the government had allocated Sh9.06 million to purchase 604 head of cattle in the two wards, slaughter them and distribute the meat to families that have been hardest hit by the current dry spell in the targeted areas.
Speaking in his office during a meeting of the inaugural Sub County Steering Group, Mr Ngugi said the animals would be bought from livestock owners with the least numbers of livestock in the targeted areas.
“Priority will be given to livestock owners who are care givers or single-headed households with bulls and culls that are fit for human consumption,” he said.
The meat, he said, would be inspected by licensed meat inspectors before it is distributed to the vulnerable families during the programme that is expected to last four weeks.
“Those to benefit include orphans and vulnerable children, elderly persons, persons with disabilities and those living with HIV, as well as the poor of the poor, single and child headed families,” he said.
During the meeting, members agreed to distribute 50 heads of cattle in the targeted 12 sub-locations of Jilore and Kakuyuni ward, with Langobaya sub location getting the lion’s share of 54 animals.
Mr Ngugi told chiefs and their assistants, who will be involved in identifying the most vulnerable persons in their areas, to be honest and carry out the work with care adding several agencies, including the KDF-run Kenya Meat Commission, would make spot checks.
“You must be very careful while identifying those who will benefit from the programme because I do not want any scandals,” Ngugi told the junior administrators.
Mr Boniface Mwaringa from the Kenya Red Cross Society said the committee would work directly with livestock owners, adding that it would not use brokers.
He said the benefitting livestock owners would be paid promptly through the M-Pesa platform from the Kenya Red Cross Society, while the National Drought Management Authority will be charged with the oversight role.
By Emmanuel Masha
