Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai today flagged off the first consignment of relief food, targeting areas severely affected by the drought in Turkana County.
Addressing the media in Lodwar as he flagged off vehicles carrying the assorted food, Governor Lomorukai stated that the County Government had purchased 102,000 bags of white maize and 3,000 cartons of vegetable oil. However, the initial distribution would prioritize the hardest-hit areas.
“In this first phase, a total of 41,932 bags of white maize and 1,352 cartons of vegetable oil will be transported and delivered to various Food Distribution Points (FDP) centers in Kibish, Kaeris, Kaaleng/Kaikor, Lapur, Lake Zone, Nakalale, Kalokol, Kangatotha, Kerio Delta, Kanamkemer, Lodwar Township, and Kalapata Wards,” said the Governor.
The County Government has allocated Ksh551 Million in this financial year towards the purchase of relief food to cushion and support the populations from the effects of droughts.
Governor Lomorukai announced that senior county officials would coordinate the distribution process to ensure transparency and that beneficiaries receive the correct quantities of food.
He said, “To ensure that this relief food reaches the intended beneficiaries, our government has constituted multi-departmental teams comprising senior officers who will oversee the distribution of food in the various FDPs across the wards covered in this first phase of relief food distribution.”
Governor Lomorukai said the county was partnering with Non-Governmental Organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) to supplement government efforts to ensure that all affected households are covered in the food distribution plan.
Present at the event were senior County Government officials, including County Executive Member for Infrastructure Patrick Losike; County Chief Officers Paul Lodung’a (Office of the Governor), Cecilia Majuma (Public Service), and Derrick Epae (Administration and Disaster Management).
A host of MCAs led by Ruth Kuya (Lodwar Township) were present at the event.
