EDITORIAL: Food security far from won

The latest update on the state of drought and famine is quite depressing. The number of people, and counties, suffering the pangs of hunger and extended drought is growing, putting much strain on the economy and public resources.

The affected counties require urgent intervention in the form of relief food and water, but this is not sustainable. A country cannot thrive when a section of the population is unable to feed itself.

The Devolution ministry lists 13 counties as being in dire need of food and water, but the impact of bad weather is being felt everywhere, including the agriculturally productive regions.

Farmers cannot plant crops due to delayed rains and, with the unreliable meteorological data, it is difficult to plan appropriately.

Kenya depends on rain-fed agriculture. Rainfall failure, therefore, as has happened, is catastrophic. Any further delay could have disastrous ramifications. Another year of hunger and famine would see the economy tumble and result in an even worse crisis.

Drought is a natural phenomenon, but it is predictable and its effects can be mitigated through planning.

It is paradoxical that, during torrential rains, little is done to store the rainwater for lean periods.

And when there are bumper harvests, the yields are left to go to waste due to poor post-harvest handling, including storage and transportation, lack of markets and inability to process and add value to produce.

Few of the several large-scale multi-billion-shilling projects launched by the government in a bid to ensure food security have achieved the desired goals. For example, the Galana-Kulalu Irrigation Scheme at the Coast has collapsed. Dams that were planned elsewhere in the country have come a cropper after gulping billions of shillings. These have turned out to be major scams.

Food aid, though necessary, should not cloud the government’s challenge, and responsibility, to ensure permanent food security.