Paradox

But the politics of constitution making and the attendant implementation might have shifted the government's focus from fighting hunger, such that, some of the programs did not roll out as had been scheduled.

Nonetheless, the state has insisted that the assessment reports from the ground show that the situation did not merit to be called a "national disaster." Not yet.

Minister for Special Programs Esther Murugi and her Agriculture counterpart Sally Kosgei have noted a disconnection in the distribution of food across the country. While one part of the country is suffering, the other parts recorded huge harvests and the farmers in these areas are wondering where they'll store the excess maize.

"We don't want Kenyans to panic that there's an emergency. There's enough food," said Dr. Kosgei.

Her statement followed the bulging stores in Kenya's Rift Valley region  – the country's grain basket - and the huge surplus of maize that the farmers harvested in this area over the last two months. The farmers were angry that middlemen were buying the maize at a throwaway price of $12.33 for a 50-kg bag, making it difficult for them to recoup their investment. The price is $29 for the same bag when the market is stable. Through their MPs, farmers had asked the state to clarify what hunger they were talking about, when there was plenty of food to go around.

Chairman of Parliament's Agriculture Committee, John Mututho, sees it as an obvious lack of planning.

"We cannot allow this. The government has to plan and be able to feed its people with the food produced. It will be premature to import maize, because we have plenty around. If we import now, where will our farmers take their harvest? Would they be able to plant for the next season?" he told ChinAfrica.

But as the bureaucrats, businessmen and politicians continue to argue about profits for local farmers and importation of maize, the rest of the population in the country's dry areas are shedding tears, wondering where their next meal or, even a mug of water, will come from.

The people in these areas are surviving on meals of dry berries, roots and sometimes wild fruits. They are competing for water with wild animals. Some schools in these areas, which are hardest hit by the drought, are yet to re-open due to water problems.

The government records show that schools in 96 districts are under the School Feeding Program – where an estimated 3 million children are given lunchtime meals, usually a mixture of boiled maize and beans, accompanied by a mug of porridge. This program has been adversely affected by lack of water due to the drought.

Government action

Policymakers remind politicians that there's need to shift from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation-based farming. They insist that farmers ought to begin using drought resistant seeds and fast-maturing crops. They also speak about diversifying crop production so that it's not only about maize, but also about crops like bananas, sorghum, millet, cassava and sweet potatoes.

Faced with the current drought, the government has gone into overdrive in the mitigation efforts. It has rehabilitated some boreholes and is conducting water trucking in the affected districts and equipping and servicing of old boreholes.

Provision of fuel subsidy for operation of borehole water supply – they use diesel-powered pumps - is ongoing. Distribution of chlorine tablets for household water treatment is also ongoing.

"Efforts are underway to kick off livestock off-take for approximately 120,000 herds of cattle in Upper Eastern before their body condition deteriorates further," said Deputy Prime Minister W.Musalia Mudavadi.

The off-take program entails purchase of livestock from pastoralists, paying them so that they have money to buy food and save the rest of the money until the rains come for them to re-stock. The livestock bought this way is usually sent to the Kenya Meat Commission for the production of beef and mutton.

To facilitate this, government institutions have been directed to purchase canned beef from the Kenya Meat Commission in order to generate sufficient funds to improve on livestock off-take.

(Reporting From Kenya)