Cycle of hunger bares misplaced priorities but ‘Kenyans for Kenya’ campaign is a winner

PUBLIC WATCHDOG

The cycle of a hungry Kenya is pervasive, and the cry of the people is loud for everyone to hear and thousands of Kenyans are coming out to help the millions facing the worst food crisis in recent memory. Amid the reported food crisis lies a restless starving people in a state of hopelessness, but unfortunately the political class is apparently busy criss-crossing the country and engaged in tomorrow’s political positioning — 2012.

Worst still, a few in government are in an unfortunate state of self-denial, a position that is certainly in conflict with that of a nation, which has officially declared the food crisis a national disaster.

Thus, the pertinent questions arising from the quoted remarks of Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua are: Whose government is he speaking for? Is it the same one that has declared a national disaster on account of the food crisis? As a media person, Mutua must certainly be watching and reading media reports that show a starving and desperate people and the level of malnutrition, including reported deaths.

Committee of Experts

Everyone now acknowledges that we cannot presently feed ourselves, as a country and a people, but why have we failed to draw useful lessons from our past experience. Surely, how can we turn to our neighbours and international community now and then to feed an ever growing population?

The answer lies squarely on our collective political leadership failures and misplaced national priorities. How can we, then, cure this malaise?

First, we as a people must begin to hold our leadership to account in developing short-, medium- and long-term solutions and priorities in resource allocation to deal decisively with an emerging annual cycle of food crisis.

This country is endowed with an agricultural potential that is not harnessed and exploited due to misplaced financial resource allocations, inadequacies in management capacity and institutional incompetence. The challenge demands attention at the highest levels in government with the responsibility now resting on the collective political leadership.

How? We must urgently constitute a high level committee of experts drawn from the public and private sector to review, inquire into causes and consult the stakeholders in determining appropriate policy and institutional strategic solutions to address the cycle of food insecurity.

On-farm storage

It would be essential to mandate such an expert committee to come-up with pragmatic and fundamental intervention measures, resource requirements, sequencing and timing to ensure major positive impact including institutional turnaround of the food production agricultural subsector.

These must include input support such as fertilisers, seeds, targeted fuel subsidies, on-farm storage, national strategic grain reserve requirements, management and establishment of appropriate, as well as financing and efficient market solutions.

Second, we must all collectively as Kenyan now focus on saving lives as much as we reflect on why and how to come out of the recurrent cycle of food crisis.

We must mobilise both local and international support.

Public Watchdog acknowledges a private sector initiative facilitated by Safaricom, Kenya Commercial Bank, Kenya Red Cross Society and media owners including the Standard Group among others, christened — Kenyans for Kenya — that has raised within one week more than Sh70 million.

It is encouraging that the amount thus far raised came from ordinary Kenyans, who have tremendously responded to the cry of their brothers and sisters afflicted by sustained drought and famine.

Most corporate Kenya is yet to make their contribution and are expected to attend a pledging and contribution session this Friday. It is instructive that if the invited 300 major organisations each contribute Sh1 million, then a minimum of Sh300 million would be raised.

The question remains: How many of the corporates would feel sufficiently encouraged by the responses of ordinary Kenyans to pledge a substantial contribution?

Why? After all, the wealth creation of such corporates directly comes from ordinary Kenyan consumers, many of who are today experiencing life threatening food insecurity.

We say: Kudos to ordinary Kenyans and urge them to do more for Kenyans for Kenya. As to our large corporates, it is the time to be counted in the roll of honour, so give now a share of your profit to Kenyans for Kenya mobilisation — as you, too, are Kenyan!

Third, for our political class Public Watchdog urges you to show leadership and sensitivity, knowing that now Kenyans are hungry, and worst still dying due to starvation. Yes, we can blame everything on the failure of rains and prolonged drought as the cause of famine and food crisis.

Strategic reserves

But surely, we can do better to produce more and maintain appropriate levels of strategic food reserves to last times of poor harvest due to unfavourable weather conditions. This food crisis nightmare circle is certainly unacceptable nearly 50 years after our independence as a nation.

Finally, to our political class, we urge them to show care, concern and sensitivity in mobilising resources for the starving Kenyans, not criss-crossing the country on succession politicking and rallying a hungry population.

Thus, we must temporarily stop succession politics to concentrate on emergency response efforts and in the implementation of the Constitution, as this is a matter of compelling public interest!

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