The Government has doubled up relief food rations to feed 3 million people, up from an initial 1.3 million Kenyans under the feeding program, State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu has said.
The State House spokesperson said the government has also enhanced water trucking across the country, especially in the 23 Arid and Semi Arid counties that have adversely been affected by drought.
“We are tackling the drought situation with all efforts available to us, especially under the authority of the National Disaster Response that the President has committed to in terms of how we address the situation,” Esipisu said.
Esipisu made the remarks Sunday at Kakamega State Lodge where he held in his weekly press briefing.
He disclosed that the livestock off take has also been enhanced in all 23 Arid and Semi Arid counties.
“We are buying the cattle as well as procuring goats and sheep. Since body conditions of most of them is not good, the Government is slaughtering and giving locals for consumption, and for them to store in traditional ways as dried up meat. We are also supplying this meat to schools in those areas,” he said.
The State House Spokesperson also assured that development partners such as Red Cross and UN agencies have continued to support the Government in targeting specific vulnerable groups, like the elderly, women and children under the age of 5.
“These are being provided with fortified foods. Lactating mothers are also getting fortified foods, including vitamins and energy complements,” the State House Spokesperson said.
On security matters, Esipisu said the Inspector General of Police’s reports indicate that there have been no incidents in Baringo in the last two days.
He said security has been beefed up significantly in the area and the insecurity situation in the area has being contained.
“Our security agents remain vigilant to deal with whatever situation that may arise,” he said.
Esipisu urged Baringo county leaders to continue preaching peace and calm, and ask citizens not to interfere with humanitarian work.
He emphasized that both the communities and the National Government have to work together to ensure that humanitarian work continues as well as to ensure that security is maintained.
“All of us must do our bit to ensure that normalcy is returned and politicians are particularly waned against fanning embers of fire through hate speech that could derail whatever effort are being made in terms of restoring law and order,” he said.
The State House Spokesperson, who had been in Kakamega and Vihiga counties for the past three days to inspect the progress of the Digital Literacy Program (DLP), also discussed development projects implemented by the Jubilee Government in the Western region.
He said in Kakamega 400 primary schools out of a total of 880 schools are under the DLP initiative while a total of 480 teachers have been trained in the county.
Additionally, Esipisu said the Jubilee Administration ensured electricity connectivity has been accelerated.
“So here in Kakamega county, for instance, a total of 76,190 households have been connected to the grid as at January 2017 up from just 31,773 households in 2013. You will see that the number of people in Kakamega with access to electricity has been doubled, as compared to what they were in 2013, which means that the promise the President made to Kenyans is reaching them directly and in a very personal way,” Esipisu said.