Famine in Kenya

Famine in Kenya is a Governance Issue

Introduction

Famine is an extreme scarcity of food which could be a result of various factors such as natural and artificial influences. In Kenya, famine is closely associated with drought; thus, whenever there is drought, people are more likely to suffer from an extreme lack of food. Accessible reports on famine in Kenya date back to 1898; to date, 13 major famine calamities have hit the country. The worst was the 1898 drought that swept through former central, eastern, and parts of rift valley province, claiming 25-75% of the population. No sustainable mitigation measures have been instituted as today Kenya still faces the same challenge it experienced in the 1900s whenever there is rain failure. A few months ago, the government declared famine a national disaster adding to the existing statistics.

How is it a governance issue?

The current famine situation in Kenya is a phenomenon that might be difficult to solve immediately due to the unpreparedness of the government. It is caused by drought, which could extend to the early months of 2023. When the jubilee government ascended to power in 2013, the leadership had an elaborate plan to combat famine, ensuring every citizen is food-secure as required by article 43 of the Constitution of Kenya and the Sustainable Development Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

The government publicly committed to irrigating two million acres of land in north-eastern Kenya to counter food insecurity. Ten years later, the vast dry landmass in North Eastern Kenya and other arid areas remain unused. It needs to be made clear what happened to the promise made by the administration. The moment the officials publicly committed to taking those measures, it became an obligation. Kenyans deserve an explanation for the promises made but not fulfilled. Did the government allocate money for the arid irrigation scheme, and if so, what happened? Contracts made during elections and manifestos are binding, and the citizenry must hold the duty bearers into account.

The promises and manifestos aside, there is a decentralized system of government in Kenya where the legislature and executive arms of government are devolved in the 47 counties bringing services closer to the people. These counties control billions of shillings allocated from the national government in addition to the own-source revenue generated. It’s a puzzle why the county governments have not taken sustainable measures to mitigate against and protect its residents from extreme hunger, having been in place for more than ten years. 

The members of county assemblies of arid counties still need to deliver on their mandate. They are in a position to legislate laws that compel the county executive to fund and implement projects that boost the food security of the individual counties. County disaster and drought management units existing in these regions, the national disaster management authority, and the national drought management authority should be responsible for the early monitoring and warning of famine and advise the counties accordingly.

Conclusion

Drought could be a natural problem due to changes in climatic conditions, but it does not always have to result in famine. Extreme lack of food is purely a governance problem brought about by the failure of the government and citizen representatives to consider available options to protect the citizens from famine. Combating this problem starts with legislation. It is time for policies and legislative actions to be instituted to ensure the current situation where 2.8 million Kenyans face hunger doesn’t reoccur. 

Joel Mianzi

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