Kiraitu bans relief food in South Imenti

by Patrick Muriungi

Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi has banned the distribution of relief food in his constituency.

Addressing fish farmers at Kaguru Farmers Training Centre during the launch of a fish-farming project, Kiraitu observed that continued delivery of food aid encouraged laziness and nurtured a culture of dependency.

"I blocked delivery of food aid in my constituency more that three years ago to encourage people to work and the directive still stands," he said.

The minister said the entire district was fertile before urging locals, who are mainly farmers, to take advantage of the available resources of water, land and good climatic conditions to produce food for themselves and the rest of the country.

Kiraitu was reacting to local acting DC John Kirui’s sentiments that South Imenti had received bags of relief maize and beans and other foodstuff for distribution to the region’s poor.

But Kiraitu ordered the Provincial Administration to take the food to charitable institutions that included St Lucy’s School for the Blind. He also cautioned chiefs against holding barazas to distribute relief food.