Government gives Sh6,500 each to residents affected by drought

According to the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), the entire Tiaty sub-County, parts of Mogotio, Baringo North, Central and South are affected by drought and residents are facing starvation. [Kipsand Joseph, Standard]

Over 2,000 households in Baringo face starvation as the government and humanitarian agencies work to mitigate the situation.

Beginning Monday, October 10, residents began queuing for food and Sh6,500 each to help them survive.

The areas affected are the entire Tiaty constituency, parts of Mogotio, Baringo North, South and Central sub-counties.

Reuben Lotongolo from Tiaty said the elderly and persons living with disabilities were the worst affected.

Lotongolo said vulnerable groups find it hard to get help when food is being distributed.

"Being pastoralists, we depend on our livestock which have now died due to drought, but as we wait for the relief food, we hope that everyone will be accommodated to avoid a situation where lives are lost," he said.

The locals, he said, had resorted to cooking wild fruits which takes about 12 hours.

A number of elderly men have abandoned their homes and others are forced to beg for food within Chemolingot town.

This comes as the county receives 1,200 bags of rice, 2,160 bags of beans and 600 cartons of corn beef to cushion 2,778 households.

According to the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), the entire Tiaty sub-County, parts of Mogotio, Baringo North, Central and South are affected by drought and residents are facing starvation.

"World Food Programme is targeting 2, 778 households in Tiaty, Baringo North, Mogotio, Baringo South and Baringo Central sub counties with a cash transfer programme where each household will receive Sh6,500 for six months starting August 2022," read NDMA's September bulletin.

The report revealed that World Vision was carrying out a cash transfer programme of Sh9 million targeting 1,762 households in Mogotio, Tiaty and Baringo North sub counties.

Also Kenya Red Cross are targeting 3,036 households with cash transfer where each household will receive about Sh5,000 for a period of three months.