LAIKIPIA, Kenya, Oct 24 — The national government in conjunction with Laikipia county and donors is set construct six boreholes at Laikipia’s Solio Settlement Scheme in a bid to support irrigation and resolving recurring droughts that have hampered food production.
Speaking when she donated foodstuff to residents in the drought-stricken region, Second Lady Dorcas Rigathi said the construction of more boreholes in the scheme which houses over 20,000 families will conclusively eradicate hunger in the area.
“We have over the years been providing you with relief food ,however I want to assure you that working with donors construct more boreholes so that farming can go on despite drought and then we will not be lining you for food,” Dorcas said.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s spouse who was accompanied by the county’s top leadership led by Governor Joshua Irungu and area MP Mwangi Kiunjuri urged well-wishers to donate food to starving families .
On his part Irungu said that his government had tabled a Sh20 million supplementary budget to enable the county to provide schools with food.
“As a county we have set aside this money to ensure that during this time all our schools are feeding their pupils and students ,we will work with national government to ensure that none drops out of school due to lack of food,” said Irungu.
He however said that the solution to food deficits is provision of water for irrigation and promised to work with the national government to realize the plan in six months.
Adding his voice to the discourse, Kiunjuri attributed the lack of irrigation water at the scheme to an illegal water connection at Kanyagia in Nyeri County which he said should be addressed by the national administration.
“These people have arable land and can in fact be the bread basket of this nation however their water for irrigation has been diverted at Kanyagia, a matter that can be addressed by two county commissioners,” said Kiunjuri.
The scheme where thousands of squatters living on roadside in Nyeri were settled twelve years ago has been hit by acute shortage of food following crop failure for the last five years.
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