Already 51 people have been discharge while 42 others are still admitted at the Suguta health center in Lolok Oibor, Samburu County.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 4 – Samburu legislators now want the government to initiate the distribution of relief food to its residents after 90 people were hospitalised on Tuesday for eating contaminated meat.
Samburu Woman Representative Maison Leshomo urged the government to purchase grains from the maize growing regions and distribute it to the locals particularly those in the arid areas to avert a crisis.
“We are urging the government to capitalise on the harvests by farmers particularly from the maize growing regions who are complaining that their grains are rotting in the granaries—we are asking the government to buy the produce from these farmers and distribute it to those who need it—our people are suffering greatly,” said Leshomo.
Leshomo was accompanied by Nominated Senator Naisula Lesuuda who urged the public not to judge the people for eating the contaminated meat since they had no option.
READ: 90 people suffer food poisoning in Samburu
Lesuuda blamed the dry spell and drought as the factors that could have led the people to eat meat further taking the time to call on the government to develop strategies to deal with drought and famine so as to prevent the perennial loss of lives.
“I don’t think it is normal for 90 people to just go and eat one cow which is not being sold in a butchery; it is just in a homestead. It definitely means these people were hungry and this why they went to eat that cow—drought should not at this century continue to be a disaster, it is something we foresee, it is something that we can plan for– we can be food sufficient if the goodwill is there,” said Lesuuda.
While noting the importance of County governments in countering such emergency situations, Lesuuda attributed the slow response by the Samburu County to the wrangles between the County Assembly and the County Executive which have caused it not to receive funding.
She also acknowledged the efforts by the residents in ensuring they are self reliant by planting food crops, noting that although they had managed to plant food crops in the past season, the same had failed due to insufficient rainfall.
Already 51 people have been discharge while 42 others are still admitted at the Suguta health center in Lolok Oibor, Samburu County.
About The Author
