Kitui leaders call for introduction of school feeding program as hunger starts haunting

 Leaders from Kitui County are now calling upon the National Government to consider supplying residents of the county with relief food as well as introduce school feeding programs as residents have been hit hard by effects of drought, with many school going children almost dropping out due to hunger.

Speaking on different occasions, Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna and his Mwingi North counterpart of Eng. Paul Nzengu urged the President Kenyatta government through the Ministry of Devolution to come to the rescue of Kitui residents who have been hit hard by hunger and famine following failure of rain in consecutive rain seasons now leaving residents without food in their homes.

On his side, Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna who was speaking at Nzawa Day secondary school where he had gone to launch a laboratory funded by the National government’s CDF called for the consideration of Kitui County as a hardship area frequently affected by rain shortages and drought. He said that currently most residents are facing starvation due to poor rains and urged the president to supply residents with food and put schools under school feedings program so that education may run smoothly.

“Kitui is a very arid county characterized by frequent rain shortages and poor climatic conditions. There is a need for the national government to make deliberate efforts in ensuring that learning in schools continues throughout by providing food in our schools,” said Mr. Nguna.

Hardship allowance

Mr. Nguna also said that he would push hard his petition in the National Assembly demanding for classification of Kitui as a hardship area deserving hardship allowances as according to him national government employees in the county go through a lot due to the harsh climatic conditions of the county.

“I’ll continue with my petitions until Kitui County is enlisted as a hardship area so that even National Government officers working in our county get hardship allowances like their counterparts in other neighbouring counties like Makueni and Tana River counties,” he added.

Mwingi North MP Eng. Paul Nzengu on the other hand reiterated the call, urging the government to put all schools in his Mwingi North constituency under a school feeding program as most children risked dropping out of school.

Mr. Nzengu said that supplying schools with relief food would ensure that all students and pupils turn up for studies as even if they lack food at their homes, at least there would be guarantee of a meal in school.

“Most children in my constituency and the entire Kitui County risk dropping out of school if the necessary measures aren’t put in place to ensure that there is enough food in our schools,” narrated Mr. Nzengu

The two legislators debunked the myth that was alluded to by Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu that Kitui County was food secure and led to withdrawal from the county of most NGO which deal with relief food like ActionAid and the United Nations World Food Programme maintaining that most residents of the county are still languishing in poverty.

STORY BY BONIFACE MWANIKI