UPDATE ON THE CURRENT DROUGHT SITUATION.
The current drought situation is of great concern to the Government and indeed the people of Kenya. The Government wishes to reveal the state of the problem and what is happening to alleviate the problem.
I.Currently, the Government does not lack food to feed the hungry. The government has set aside 10.5 billion shillings to feed Kenyans. However it is of great worry that despite the amount of money some Kenyans in some areas are sleeping hungry and starving something that is totally unacceptable.
II.The problem is not that the Government does not have food or has not provided money for food. The problem lies in the system of distribution and logistics. The system that has been used in the past of taking food to a central area and redistributing it is not efficient and it means that Kenyans suffer whereas food is being held awaiting transportation. The government is changing this system and adopting better and more innovative ways of feeding Kenyans.
III.The number of needy Kenyans is expected to get to 4.5 million in the next few months. So far, the Government does not have any official reports of a Kenyan that has died as a result of hunger. We are asking everyone including the media to let us know of any confirmed deaths of a Kenyan due to starvation not old age or diseases. It is wrong and unacceptable for any Kenyan to sleep hungry let alone die and there is food in the country.
IV.The Government is aware that we have Somali refugees who have died as a result of starvation. Some of them arrive in the country in very malnourished state and do not survive.
V.On the issue of Somali refugees, the Government welcomes the United Nations move to take food to Somaliland and even consider food drops, as per the advice of the Kenya Government. The view of the Kenya Government is that people should not be rendered refugees because they are hungry. What is vital is feeding of the people where they are. Building more refugee camps is making hungry people refugees something that lowers their dignity.
VI.The Government welcomes initiatives by the Private Sector and Wananchi to raise money to assist the drought stricken Kenyans. The Government requests that the money that is collected be used to assist the Government in transportation of food and logistics. This is because that is where the challenge is. The food is available as earlier stated, we just need to get it to the hungry. The cost of transportation takes away more from the kitty to purchase food. We thank all Kenyans for their unity at this time of need.
VII.The Government is aware of the challenges posed by some leaders and cartels that are trying to benefit from the current situation. For example, The World Food Programme has faced a challenge in Turkana and North Eastern areas because of transportation costs that are beyond reasonable levels. The situation has been so bad that anyone else willing to provide transportation at reasonable rate has been threatened with death. Some of the senior Government officials in these areas are so intimidated that some have urged me not to make this reality public because they are scared of the cartels. This behavior is totally unacceptable. Food is now being used as a political tool at the expense of starving Wananchi. The Government will compile a report and ensure that these leaders are named, shamed and prosecuted. It is wrong and a sin for anyone to benefit at the expense of starving Kenyans.
Dr. Alfred N. Mutua, EBS
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY &
GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON
28th July, 2011
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ALFRED MUTUA: JOINT PRESS BRIEFING WITH POLICE COMMISSIONER MATHEW ITEEREby msemajikenya594 views
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