Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi says he will honour Senate team summons

By ROBERT KIPLAGAT

Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi has said he is ready to face the Senate Committee on Agriculture over the hunger crisis in the region.

Mr Cheboi is set to appear before the Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi-led team on June 6 to explain the steps his administration has taken to mitigate the biting famine in the area occasioned by persistent drought.

Speaking to The Standard, Cheboi said staving off hunger was the responsibility of both the national and county governments, but promised to honour the summons to set the record straight.

 “I will honour the summons as we all grapple with hunger from time to time,” said Cheboi.

The governor said his administration has distributed over 3,000 bags of maize to starving residents in East Pokot, Baringo North and Marigat, and a further 3,000 bags were on the way.

“As we speak, we have distributed food to all parts in East Pokot, parts of Baringo North and Marigat, and we are collaborating with the national government to roll out the school-feeding programme in affected areas,” said Cheboi.

The county chief added that a further 600 bags of beans have been distributed to those in need of food aid and appealed to well-wishers to help the famine relief efforts.

“This county needs up to 17,000 bags a month to feed the hunger-stricken families as we wait to initiate irrigation projects to address the problem once and for all,” he said.

Residents in the mainly pastoral region are also reported to have lost their livestock as the dry spell persists.

Buy livestock

Recently, the national government said it had set aside Sh600 million to buy livestock in hunger-stricken areas in the country to cushion pastoral communities from losses.

Devolution Principal Secretary Gideon Konchellah made the announcement in East Pokot District in Baringo County where over 50,000 residents are in dire need of emergency food and more than 2,000 goats have died due to lack of water and pasture.

 “For many years, drought has killed numerous livestock and as a Government, we have set aside the money to buy the animals from affected residents,” said Konchella.

Konchellah said the Government has spent Sh220 million on relief food distribution in the area since February this year.

The summons for the Baringo governor to appear before the Senate team comes barely a week after area Senator Gideon Moi challenged him to address the famine crisis before it got out of hand.