Residents of Ombeyi ward in Muhoroni constituency have been urged to plant variety of food crops to address food shortage in the area.
Ombeyi Ward representative Joshua Auko said those living within Ahero Rice Irrigation Scheme must now change tact and farm other crops.
Auko said the locals have been growing rice since time immemorial but they are getting little returns.
“This rice farming has not done us any good and it is time our farmers switch to other crops that have better returns," he said.
He added that locals should now diversify from growing rice and plant other food and cash crops in the scheme like watermelons, groundnuts among others.
Speaking to the press in Kisumu, Auko said families who were evicted by the Irrigation Board are now hungry and destitute since they have not been paid their dues.
“Rice farming is tedious and is fetching very little. Our farmers can’t take their children to school, health care is a problem so we must think otherwise,” he said.
Auko announced that he will not rest until those families are compensated to allow them find other places to put up adding that the planned peaceful demonstration slated for Friday has been cancelled in memory of the late Senator Gerald Otieno Kajwang.
He said the forceful evictions were done without a court order and told the residents that the fight for their rights is still on.