Uhuru receives brief on drought situation

Agriculture CS Willy Bett. (Photo: Beverlyne Musili/Standard)

President Uhuru Kenyatta was Wednesday briefed on the drought situation and mitigation measures that have been put in place.

There are 23 Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (Asal) counties facing serious drought, according to information relayed to the President Wednesday morning by a team comprising Cabinet secretaries and principal secretaries drawn from the ministries of Devolution, Treasury, Agriculture, Labour and East African Affairs.

The team assured the Head of State that the situation is under control and concrete interventions have been put in place to avoid deaths as a result of starvation.

It handed over a preliminary report on the situation to the President. Uhuru will receive detailed report next Friday.

On Tuesday, Agriculture CS Willy Bett also reassured Kenyans that the Government was on top of the matter, with 21 million bags of maize available to feed the country for five months.

Cabinet secretaries Henry Rotich (National Treasury), Phyllis Kandie (Labour & EAC Affairs), Mwangi Kiunjuri (Devolution) and Bett told the President that the Government has been distributing relief food to 1.5 million Kenyans, a majority of whom are in Asal counties.

Uhuru stressed on the need for all Government agencies, including the National Youth Service and other security agencies, to be involved in food and water distribution.

Rotich and Kiunjuri explained to the President their decision to involve other stakeholders who are also on the ground providing necessary support.

"The Government has come up with a good frame work to collaborate with other international partners to contain the situation," said Rotich.

The CS said the National Government will realign its budget to address the situation and urged county governments to also come up with mitigation measures.

The team said it will continue assessing the situation and scale up interventions.