The Government is set to slaughter 1,823 cattle and the meat product be distributed as relief food to over 18,250 households and institutions in Isiolo county.
Isiolo Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Mr. Kepha Marube, said that the government’s intervention, would avert losses that face the local herdsmen during the looming drought.
Kenya Red Cross Society, is the lead implementing agency in the undertaking, which the DCC urged to speed up the process, starting with the formation of village level committees, which would ensure the deserving residents sell their animals in time, so as to give room for opportune slaughter and distribution.
Speaking during a County Steering Group meeting Friday, Marube said the looming drought calls for swift intervention from diverse players, so as to save livestock owners the agony they are going through following rain failure for several seasons now.
The Administration said that the government would distribute the meat to public institutions, including schools, health centres and the special interest groups in the County.
He added that every 10 households would slaughter one cow and four households to slaughter a goat or sheep.
Meanwhile, the Merti Integrated Development Programme (MID-P), a non-government organization, targets to have 673 households benefit from a Muslim Charity, where each family would receive Sh. 5,000 monthly Cash Transfer for food rations, for three consecutive months.
The Project’s Program Coordinator Ibrahim Kabelo, said that the charity from Sheikh Althani Zakat, will be distributed to several villages in Muchuro, Manyatta Prison, Badana in Garbatula Sub- County, Biliqo Marara, Dima-Ado and Awaristu in Merti Sub- County.
The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA)’s County Information and data Officer, Mr. Francis Murithi, said that 40 per cent of boreholes have collapsed, complicating the drought crisis to a point of sometimes witnessing conflict between herders and wildlife at night.
Murithi said the Government has been undertaking water trucking in Modogashe and other areas that are hard hit by the drought effects in the County.
He added that water trucking efforts ought to be increased, so as to address the problem of water in the vast ASAL County.
By Abduba Mamo and David Nduro
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