Residents of Nyatike Sub-County will benefit from the relief food distribution meant to cushion them from hunger.
Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication, and Digital Economy Eliud Owalo while flagging off the food consignment noted that the government had a set agenda of economic development blueprint meant to address agricultural production, mining, and the fishing sector in the Lake Region basin.
The Sub-County was allocated a total 1680 bags of rice and beans that will serve an estimated population of 60,000 in Nyatike South and the larger Nyatike.
CS Owalo said that the economic development blueprint ones implemented will address the foot shortage and provide a long-lasting solution to the cotton, rice, and sugar sectors in the Nyanza region.
He said that already the county governments have signed the county-based economic charter to address the ailing problems affecting the sugar, cotton, mining, and fishing sectors.
The official said that the mining sector in Nyatike should be well managed to ensure revenue generated is channeled back to help the society.
“We need to ensure that the county and national government work together to ensure appropriate revenue collection from mining, agriculture, and fishing sectors benefit the local residents”, noted Owalo.
He said that the food distribution in the county was a short-term plan to address the hunger but assured that the government was at the forefront of addressing the food shortage.
Migori County Deputy Governor Dr. Joseph Mahiri said that the partnership between the county and the national government was key in addressing foot shortage and drought in the county.
He urged the national government and the Kenya National Irrigation Authority (NIA) to move with speed and compensate the remaining farmers for the benefit of the Lower Kuja Rice Irrigation Scheme expansion.
Mahiri also called upon the national government in collaboration with Migori County to help the community utilise the lake victory waters for irrigation purposes. He said that it was very unethical for the lake region residents to suffer hunger yet they had natural water resource that is not being utilized.
Migori County Commissioner Meru Mwangi highlighted that it was important for the county to utilize Lake Victoria waters for irrigation and help address food shortage and hunger. The administrator said the fishing industry should be boosted to ensure that the county is able to provide for the county as well as have supplies for export.
Migori County is among the 29 counties that have been affected by severe drought, especially in Nyatike Sub County. However, the drought situation in the Sub County is not at an alarming stage as compared to other hard-hit counties in Northern Kenya.
Nyatike Sub-County which is categorized as a semi arid area has been receiving low rains in recent years.
This year the region has seen the drought situation worsen sending chill among residents and farmers in the entire Migori County. The worsening drought in the Sub-county has also affected almost of the existing ponds leading to the death of fish due to lack of water.
