NYANDARUA, Kenya, Oct 30 — Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Gitau has called on government officials handling the distribution of relief food in the county to observe dignity for the hunger victims.
Gitau, while noting that the residents received the rations not because they were poor but because of the failed rains in parts of the county, urged chiefs and administrators to ensure human dignity is preserved during distribution of relief food.
“We are not giving this food because our people are poor but because there has not been enough rain to sustain a crop in parts of this county. We are doing it therefore with a lot of love, considering that there is hope for short rains and our farmers have already purchased the subsidized fertilizer for short season crops,” she added.
She noted that parts of Ndaragwa, OlKalou and Ol Jororok Constituencies had already received their rations with more expected in the week for Kipipiri and pockets of Kinangop constituencies.
Senator John Methu, who also joined other leaders in receiving a consignment of 2, 800 bags of 50kgs rice and 1, 120 bags of beans for distribution, said about 9, 000 bags of DAP fertilizer had also been received.
He underscored the need for a change in strategy that will ensure no more relief food will be distributed in the county but instead residents get to harvest enough for use and sale.
“I am warning all cartels who plan to hijack the process and divert food to their stores that I will fight them. Cartels have also been noted in the fertilizer distribution, taking a lorry of the fertilizers for sale in their Agrovets, these we will not condone,” added Methu.
The first time Senator, who is also chair to the Parliamentary Committee on Land, Water and Natural Resources, said he will together with other leaders lobby for the actualization of water projects on Malewa River, Pesi and Kinja dams to help farmers engage in meaningful agriculture all year round.
Governor Moses Badilisha regretted that only a portion of water from the Aberdare ranges was put to use within the county, with major forests exploited for timber.
“This has largely affected our climate and we are now experiencing drought which was never heard of before. We are lobbying for re-afforestation programmes to return Nyandarua to its former glory,” added Badilisha.
