Makueni County Commissioner (CC) Mr. Kaburu Kaimba has decried the increase of children dropping out of school in four Sub Counties along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
Consequently, Kaimba warned parents that they risked prosecution if they neglect taking their children to school saying Kibwezi East, Makindu, Nzaui and Mukaa Sub Counties is where many cases are found.
“The issue of children dropping out of school, is posing security problem. This has been aggravated by parents especially women who have gone to Nairobi and working as house helps,” said Kaimba on Friday when he chaired County Steering Group (CSG) meeting at the Devolution Hall at Map in Wote town.
“Parents who will neglect their children will be prosecuted,” warned the administrator.
He further disclosed that some children who have dropped out of school are involved in crime.
“There has emerged petty theft in Nziu and Kalaani villages of even crops in the farms. They are stealing oranges,” the administrator observed.
During the meeting, members were informed that the depressed March, April and May rains has occasioned poor food production.
Speaking in the meeting, the Department of Agriculture Deputy Director Mr. Lukas Makau said that farmers will harvest 260,263 bags of 90kgs (maize) instead of 656,896 expected during the long rains period.
At the same time, he disclosed that farmers will get 90,889 bags of 90kgs (cow peas instead of 137,122 while farmers will realise only 44,856 bags of 90kgs of (green grams) below the anticipated 78,000.
“In maize, cow peas and green grams this has resulted to a loss of 39.3%, 66.3% and 57% respectively,” lamented the Deputy Director.
This was contained in a report on the long rains assessment for the months of March, April and May that comprise of Water, Education, Health and Livestock departments in the county indicating how they performed during the period.
The report says that poor rainfall, performance, poor water recharge, increase in cases of malnutrition, human/wildlife, immediate sale of stocks at low prices from last season were some of the factors contributing to food insecurity.
Also it says that some people have poor dietary diversity and minimal meal frequency and increase of trekking distance for water.
However, some of the recommendations given as per sector includes agriculture where they said there should be irrigation infrastructure development and support rain water harvest for crop production in the area.
Also provision of certified tolerant crop seed to farmers and support community seed system where they get an area where farmers are trained to get quality seed and establishment in low pest prevalence zones.
In livestock it was recommended that there is need to upgrade livestock like cattle, goats and sheep and chickens.
On water, the report says that dams be desilted in a bid to improve storage capacities and also construct earth dams both medium and large that can support irrigation schemes.
On his part, Devolution Executive Committee Member Japheth Mang’oka said that currently they are desilting 10 dams in the county in preparation of the anticipated rains in the months of October to December 2023.
“Massive desilting has already started at Masaani, Mitooni, Matinga, Ndukuma, Kwamboo, Kyamakuthi Mwambie, Kyamatolo and Kyunguni dams,” said Mang’oka.
By Patrick Nyakundi
