Lucianne Limo, Amos Kareithi And Nimo Ahmed
24 April 2008
Nairobi — The Government has warned of a looming food shortage in the next few months.
Agriculture minister, Mr William Ruto, said the national food reserves could only last for the next four months, up to August.
He warned that unless drastic measures were taken, the country could face serious food shortages.
"Unless we move with speed, we will experience a situation where more people will depend on relief food," he said on Wednesday.
Agriculture minister, Mr William Ruto receives a Sh4 million cheque from Brookside Dairy chairman, Mr Muhoho Kenyatta for the Freedom From Hunger Walk at Serena Hotel, on Wednesday. Picture by Govedi Atsutsa
Ruto, however, assured Kenyans that the Government had put in place measures to salvage the food crops in the field.
"The stocks of grain in the stores are in excess of 3.5 million bags, but can only last up to August," the minister said.
Affordable fertilisers
He said his ministry was seeking to salvage the crops planted in April by making available the top dressing (CAN) fertilisers.
Ruto was speaking at a Nairobi hotel during the official launch of this year's Freedom From Hunger Walk, scheduled for May 17.
The theme of this year's walk is: 'Walk for rights to food', and is sponsored by Brookside Dairy. The walk seeks to raise more than Sh30 million.
Brookside Dairy Chairman, Mr Muhoho Kenyatta, donated Sh4 million towards the walk.
Ruto said his ministry would address the issue of farm inputs and cost of fertilisers.
"We are discussing with the Kenya Seed Company to reduce the cost of seeds by between 30 and 40 per cent.
He said two million people were depending on relief food, adding that his priority was to ensure food was affordable to all.
"The Government is taking adequate and appropriate measures so that we do not have food deficit. We want to allay fears, especially now that there are fears of a looming food shortage," he said.
Loans to farmers
He also said the ministry was negotiating with financial institutions to provide farmer-friendly loans.
"We need to finance the agricultural sector since a country that cannot feed itself is going nowhere," he said.
Meanwhile, an estimated 50,000 residents of Samburu East District are faced with starvation as a result of persistent rain failure.
The drought is affecting education in the area following massive dropout of pupils as they follow their parents in search of pasture, water and food.
An Samburu East MP, Mr Raphael Letimalo, warned that unless the Government dispatches urgent relief supplies, there would be disaster.
"I am just from the area and the situation is bad. People have fled from Uwaso and Wamba areas to Laresoro," said the MP.
He added that the population of pupils at Lpus Leluai Primary School had drastically reduced as children migrated with their parents.
"The number of pupils has dropped from 230 to 129. More than 100 pupils have dropped out of school," the MP said.
He proposed that Government supplies more food to the school to cater for boarders.
A joint feeding programme by World Food Programme and the Government at the school only benefits day scholars, the MP said.
He added that boarders had only one meal a day, driving majority of them out of school.
Human wildlife crisis
Letimalo at the same time accused Kenya Wildlife Service of failing to compensate his constituents whenever they were killed or injured by crocodiles.
"Owing to the scarcity of water, most residents go to Uwaso for water. The river is inhabited by crocodiles, which have maimed and killed residents," he said.
The MP said at least 15 people had been killed by wildlife in a short span and that none had been compensated.
He said whenever wild animals attacked residents from the neighbouring Isiolo District, they were compensated promptly.
He proposed that since Samburu East had been elevated into a district, a wildlife compensation committee should be constituted to cater for the needs of the residents.
Public service jobs
Letimalo also challenged the Government to devise new ways of advertising for public service jobs, noting that residents from remote areas were disadvantaged.
"Can you believe that in the recent recruitment only four drivers and clerical officers from my place were considered? We have many university graduates, but they never get the opportunity," he said.
The MP said had the Government used radio to advertise the positions, many people from areas with no access to newspapers would have benefited.
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