Nairobi — Four more people were reported dead in Wajir District as the military intensified food delivery to victims of biting famine in northern Kenya.

Emergency medicine was flown to Mandera and Wajir districts as the Government's machinery to fight famine, which has claimed more than 30 lives, went into full gear.

The latest deaths reported were those of one-year-old Abdi Bulle, Mr Ali Alap and a 75-year-old man who is yet to be identified, according to district medical officer of heath Ahmedin Omar Hassan.

The fourth, Ms Suldana Dakane, was reported by residents to have succumbed to hunger at home in Alimaow near Wajir Town.

As the death toll climbed, goats in search of pasture were reported to have died at the Wajir Hospital dumping site, where they had strayed in search of food but ended up eating poisonous garbage.

Wajir acting district commissioner Benjamin Nzioka has now directed public health officials to fence off the dumping site to protect animals and people.

As plane loads of medicine was airlifted to Mandera, Wajir and Ijara districts, those on the ground moved them into the interior to reach the starving.

"We are moving with speed and doing everything possible to take the supplies out there. We have delivered several tonnes to various places here in Mandera and the operation is on," Maj Adow Jehow, the Kenya Army commander in Mandera told the Nation yesterday.

Similar missions will be undertaken in Marsabit and Moyale today.

In Nairobi, Cotu secretary-general Francis Atwoli appealed to MPs to join hands across the political divide and save the lives of Kenyans and their livestock.

Samburu West MP Simeon Lesrima and area councillors have asked the Government to buy livestock in the district to save them from dying.

The MP who spoke to the Nation on telephone yesterday, said the district was losing thousands of livestock in its northern part. He cited Wamba, Nyiro, Baragoi and Lorroki divisions as most affected by livestock deaths.

Mr Lesrima said the Government had sidelined the district on relief food allocation over the years as residents suffered from hunger.

He accused the local administration and leading relief food agencies of misleading the Government on the real population to be targeted for food distribution.

The legislator said the 36,000 children out of school may not enrol due to the migration of their families to greener pastures in other districts. He said efforts to ensure all school age children enrolled by next year would be fruitless.

He has now asked the Government to consider putting more schools in the feeding programme for primary schools.

Elsewhere, two NGOs urged the Government to move with speed and save the lives of starving Kenyans in several other parts of the country.