The Government of Kenya and Kilifi County are finally moving swiftly to address the most problematic famine in recent years in the hinterland of Kilifi, Malindi and Mambrui.
In the season when drought reached dramatically historic levels, the likes of which had not been seen for 40 years, the coastal strip also suffered, with the situation made worse by the high temperatures recorded during 2022.
In the districts of Ganze and Magarini, in particular, entire families are reduced to eating berries and roots from the forests, and instead of going to school, children are wandering around looking for food like animals. A tragic situation that we have documented over the past months and that still plagues the population, with the little rains that have been slow to arrive, heralded only by a few downpours that have not changed things much. Harvests at a minimum and animals in danger of dying.
Over the weekend, Kilifi County Governor Gideon Mung'aro sent some 20 army trucks loaded with emergency foodstuffs that were distributed to the nine sub-counties.
With prefect Kutswa Olaka, deputy governor Flora Chibule, Ganze MP Kenneth Charo Kazungu and several councillors from Ganze constituency, the worst affected by the food emergency, Mung'aro thanked the national government on his social profile for its quick intervention.
"Recall that the county government, in equal measure, led the efforts together with donors to distribute food in different regions of the county in response to the current famine situation," the Governor wrote. "The consignment included 3,600 bags of rice, 1,440 bags of beans and 900 tins of canned meat.
It is estimated that more than 72,000 people in the county are currently in poor health due to the drought and the food emergency. In addition to the food aid, the government brought 68 trucks full of water to schools and dispensaries in the county.