Kilifi MCA raise alarm over hunger in Kilifi

 

Kilifi County Assembly Deputy Speaker Stanley Karisa Kenga has urged national and county officials to intervene and alleviate hunger in the county that he said has forced children to drop out of school.

Speaking in Malindi, Mr Kenga said a majority of schools in semi-arid areas have been hit hard.

“A big population in different parts of Kilifi lacks food. We have already received reports on how our people are starving and the most annoying thing is that a majority of schoolchildren have been forced to drop out of school due to hunger,” he said.

Mr Kenga, who is also the Adu ward MCA, said pupils at Kambicha, Yedi, Buga, Bofu, Kalongoni primary schools in his ward in Magarini sub-county have been greatly affected.

Families in Kadzandani and Barakajembe, among other areas, are starving, he said.

“The county and national government need to urgently come up with plans to start distribution of relief food to affected families to save lives and ensure that education is not disrupted,” he said.

Money allocated in the budget for the 2021/2022 financial year to address the emergency is inadequate, he said.

The county has allocated Sh150 million for the Emergency Fund and Sh80 million for emergency relief.

He said it will not be fair for pupils to miss their lessons due to lack of food right after they lost months of studies because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Magarini Deputy County Commissioner Mbiuki Mutembei said some schoolchildren are affected by hunger but the exact number is still unknown.

Earlier, MPs from Kilifi asked the county and national governments to urgently come up with plans to mitigate hunger.

The county, they said, is expected to experience severe hunger because some of the areas known to be food-secure are now lacking food.

Kilifi South and Rabai constituencies are the latest constituencies to be affected.     BY DAILY NATION