Written By Monica Makali ||
Over 10, 000 school going children from Mavoko sub-county in Machakos County have benefited from the national government’s relief food donations program.
The children were among the 63,000 residents of Athi River identified by the government as most affected by the drought hence in need of relief food.
Area deputy county commissioner Charles Wambugu confirmed10, 007 children from 38 public primary school in Mavoko sub-county had been affected by the drought, hence hungry.
Wambugu said 12, 600 households were affected, translating to 63, 000 people in the metropolitan subcounty.
“We thank the government through State Department of Social Protection. We have received relief food; 320 bags of beans of 50Kgs each and 800 bags of rice of 50Kgs each stating they were in good condition,” Wambugu said.
He addressed the press when he launched the relief food distribution to affected residents at his office in Athi River on Friday.
The administrator earlier chaired a subcounty drought mitigation committee comprising assistant county commissioners from all the four divisions in Mavoko Subcounty namely Mavoko, Mlolongo, Lukenya and Kinanie, chiefs, assistant chiefs and village elders before he launched the food distribution exercise.
He said the sub county was vast stretching to Kyumbi, Konza City and Joska along Nairobi – Kangundo road hence equally highly populated.
“Drought has affected livestock and human beings especially in the above mentioned areas where most residents practice farming and rear livestock. The entire sub county has been affected by the drought,” Wambugu said.
Wambugu said the affected 12, 600 affected households could no longer fend for their families.
“As a sub county drought mitigation committee together with stakeholders have donated 86 bags of rice and 43 bags of beans to schools so that children can get food to eat in school even if it’s three days or one week,” he said.
He called on other stakeholders and well-wishers to join hands in supporting vulnerable families by donating food to support the government in mitigating effects of drought, save lives.
Wambugu said the government will add more relief food for distribution to the affected families in the sub county.
“We want to tell our people that there is no food to feed everyone because the affected population is too high, 63, 000. The food can’t be enough for everyone. There is another round of donation expected from the government,” Wambugu said.
He told the residents to be hopeful that rains will soon fall to normalize the situation in the country.
Wambugu urged the residents with land to till them in readiness for planting once rains fall.
He thanked Machakos County Government for distributing free seeds to residents across the county.
“National government and county governments are working together because the philosophy is that we are serving the same people. If you received seeds, go plant them, rain is coming,” Wambugu said.
Wambugu urged residents to be brothers’ keepers, well-endowed once to support families struggling with pang of hunger.
He said their drought mitigation committees were cascaded up to sub location levels to identify the most affected residents, households and families to be supported.
