Agriculture Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga has revealed that the government is on its final stages of actualizing the distribution of food to vulnerable households hit by shortages.
The government plans to purchase surplus produce from farmers within the country in order to supply vulnerable households.
In an interview with KBC, Boga revealed how the government will distribute food to vulnerable households, “We are usually supported during time of relief and there is a database of those who will be supported.”
“The exercise is going on right now with the counties, the same way we have been mapping the food is the same way we’ll map the vulnerable population.
“There is a database with devolution (ministry), there is a database with Red Cross, there is a database with the World Food Program, all these guys who take care of vulnerable communities,” he spoke.
Boga added that the solutions will be found from within the country, “No, there will be no importation, everything will be locally sourced. Not just farmers but the private sector as well.”
The Ministry of Agriculture has penned a letter to the Council of Governors, asking 31 agricultural rich counties to undertake an audit of their food reserves to accurately draw a budget.
The purchase from farmers will also reduce losses that will be incurred from transporting the produce, bearing in mind the travel restrictions placed to curb the spread of Coronavirus.
Among foodstuffs earmarked for distribution are rice, beans, maize, green grams, pigeon peas, wheat, millet, and sorghum.
The move will help Kenyans from vulnerable communities who live hand to mouth during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Strategic Food Reserve (SFR) Chairman Noah Wekesa recently revealed that the country is staring at a food shortage.
“Our stores have nil stock. We sold our stock of four million bags last year and we have not purchased a new stock because the market price is beyond government reach.”