Kijabe residents appeal for relief food amidst biting drought

As the drought continues to bite in most parts of the republic, the people of Kijabe in Lari sub county, Kiambu County are appealing for relief food.
Kijabe Chief Njoroge Mungai while talking to KNA from his office Thursday said drought had adversely affected some families to a point of starvation.
The administrator expressed worry over prolonged dry spell which has hit most parts of his location, raising fears that his location may experience reduced crop-production which he said may not be adequate to feed the locals.
He said the dry spell has affected crops mainly maize and plantation of kale which has been the main source of income for the residents, who sold it for consumption to Nairobi county inhabitants.
The chief said production was definitely affected as the crops have already started wilting at the tasseling stage which he said was the critical stage for maize production.
“The prolonged sun is proving to be very destructive for my location as most people depend on agriculture to eke a livelihood. We are seeing plants drying just after they sprout from the seedbeds which are disastrous as there will be no crop next season,” he said.
The Lari sub county agriculture development officer Stanley Kinyanjui Wangui said the sub-county has been experiencing prolonged dry spells yearly and advised farmers to be growing crops that were drought tolerant.
“I would also like to encourage farmers in Lari to be practicing conservation farming as this farming technology conserves moisture on which crops can survive longer during dry spells.
They should also be planting crop varieties that mature fast saying this would go a long way in addressing such situations,” he added.
By Lydia Shiroya/Warren Kagombe