The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) have partnered to distribute livestock feeds in Kenya.
This is part of the country’s aim on intensifying efforts to cushion livelihoods of vulnerable communities currently reeling under severe drought. NDMA with the help of KDF distributed 135 tons of drought pellets in Saku and Moyale constituencies of Marsabit County as a way of enhancing initiatives to stop livestock deaths.
The NDMA County Drought Coordinator Porkuwa Mustafa said during the distribution exercise the face of the on-going drought necessitated the leveraging of the KDF logistical strength to hasten the transportation and distribution of the sought livestock feeds.
Mustafa who was accompanied by Marsabit Central Deputy County Commissioner David Saruni and Marsabit County Secretary Ibrahim Sora thanked the military for the support which he noted has helped in reducing logistical challenges in remote parts of the drought ravaged region.
Mitigation interventions
“The collaboration with KDF is part of the government strategy to enhance synergy among its departments and agencies in the ongoing drought mitigation interventions,” he said.
The coordinator disclosed that NDMA Chief Executive Officer Lt. Col. (Rtd) Hared Adan had conveyed information that another 178.75 tons of livestock feed supplements from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations will be distributed in Laisamis and North Horr constituencies.
The supply of feeds, enriched with proteins and vitamins is aimed at averting livestock deaths in areas where pasture has completely been depleted. The targeted animals are those left behind as the larger herds migrate in search of water and pasture with a 50-kilogram bag of the highly nutritious supplements set to feed a cow for 25 days and a sheep or goat for 100 days.
“The herds left at manyattas provide milk for the family members who remain at home particularly children, women and the elderly,” said Mustafa.
NDMA has also made interventions aimed at building long term resilience such as the safety net cash transfers where 20,453 households have been enlisted into the programme with the government releasing Sh 110,440,508 every two months to the beneficiaries.
The authority is also supporting water trucking, repairing and providing fuel subsidies to strategic boreholes as well as providing water storage tanks to schools and health facilities. According to the CEO, the current drought was a result of failed rains since 2020 which has eventually rendered 3.1 million people food insecure in 23 ASAL counties.
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