West Pokot County has received relief food from the national government to cushion households from the biting effects of drought that has been felt across 23 counties across the country.
The food items which included 200 sacks of beans, 360 sacks of rice and 100 cartons of cornered beef which forms part of 20,000 bags of rice, 20,000 bags of beans, cooking oil and assorted animals feed and water bowsers which was flagged off by President Ruto recently to target 3.5 million Kenyans affected by drought.
The food was distributed to Pokot Central, Kipkomo, Kacheliba, West Pokot, Pokot South sub counties with the consignment meant for North Pokot Sub County yet to be delivered.
The consignment which arrived this week is yet to be distributed to families who are in dire need of humanitarian assistance due to effects of drought.
While receiving the consignment at Kipkomo Sub County in West Pokot County, area Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Teresia Muguro said this was a quick intervention from the government to save lives and help salvage the drought situation in the region and country at large.
“A number of people have been complaining of hunger due to devastating drought in some parts of the region. This relief food donated by the government will help sustain them against the effects of climate change,” Muguro said.
The DCC noted some parts of the county has been experiencing perennial drought which has resulted in shortage of food in them.
She reiterated that the government is committed to addressing the needs of all Kenyans suffering as a result of devastating drought and severe food insecurity across the country.
Muguro said the county is expecting low farm produce this year since many farmers didn’t plant crops in their farms due to high input prices which discouraged them.
“Many farmers were unable to afford the cost of farm inputs such as a 50 kg of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) planting fertilizer was retailing at Sh6000 up from between Sh2500 to Sh3000 in the last planting season thus affecting them from utilizing their land effectively,” she narrated.
She said the quick intervention in the agricultural sector of lowering the DAP fertilizer from Sh6000 to Sh3500 per 50 kg bags by state, would help to address the challenges the sector has faced in food security measures.
She explained that due to fuel crisis, owners of tractors hiked, the cost of ploughing from Sh3000 to Sh4000 per acre discouraging many farmers from planting many acres of land as per previous years.