The government has allocated Sh2 billion for school feeding programme in Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) areas to help retain children in learning institutions.
The secretary to the National Drought Coordination in the Deputy President’s Office Mr. Murimi Murage said that more than 20 counties are hard hit by drought hence causing a drop in enrollment in schools.
Mr. Murage made the remarks while he led the distribution of government relief food to 533 households in Ngaremara Ward, Isiolo County.
He said that the Kenya Kwanza Government is committed to accomplishing all its pre-election pledges to Wananchi adding that no Kenyan would be left to suffer due to the looming drought.
He added that the government will ensure all school going children in the country are retained in learning institutions by providing relief food supplies to the education sector.
At the same time, Mr. Murage said that each of the 5,158 vulnerable households in Isiolo County will get cereals and other food items of 20 kilogramme packages.
The secretary who was accompanied by Isiolo Deputy County Commissioner Mr. Kepha Marube said that Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel would drill and repair 12 boreholes in Isiolo County and appealed to the local people to start kitchen garden farming which will improve their food security.
A villager Mr. Maneno Msee said that the government’s effort to feed learners in schools would see many Ngaremara Ward School-going-children who had dropped out due to drought related reasons get back to, and remain in school.
Mr. Msee said the government ought to support the small-scale farmers to start growing crops in order to reduce the burden of over reliance on relief food.
He warned that some of the local residents had turned to charcoal burning to cushion their livelihoods but said the activity was a threat to indigenous trees which take many years to mature.
The food will be distributed to vulnerable residents of Sericho, Garbatulla, Kinna, Oldonyiro, Ngaremara, Burat, Charri and Cherab Wards in the County and coordinated by the National government administrative officers.
Source: Kenya News Agency