County uses tech to feed vulnerable families

Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi (right) speaks to a mother at Nyahururu County Referral Hospital: His government is distributing relief through technology by way of e-vouchers. [Archive, Standard]

The Laikipia County government has turned to technology in the distribution of foodstuffs and other donations to vulnerable families impacted by coronavirus restrictions.

Instead of delivering the items physically, the donations are sent in the form of e-vouchers to the beneficiaries’ mobile phones. 

Under the ‘Lisha familia’ initiative launched by the county government and well-wishers, a small number of the targeted households in Kanyoni village and Nanyuki Ward received the vouchers through their mobile phones when the system was launched to test its efficacy.

After a successful test-run, the system will be rolled out to the rest of the county. The vouchers will be redeemable at designated collection points.

Governor Ndiritu Muriithi said the system would help in ensuring residents observed social distancing guidelines issued by the government. Already, collection centres have been established in the county.

For identification and verification, data collected when the county was registering households for the Universal Health Care (UHC) recently is being used.

“Data from the national government’s cash transfer programme is also being used and the national government administration officers together with Nyumba Kumi members are also involved in confirming and updating the data in case there have been changes since the data was collected,” said the governor.

He said volunteers from the communities had also been involved in the cleaning up and processing of the data to ensure only those deserving received the food aid.

The county intends to raise more than Sh130 million to feed affected families