Should Kenyan authorities have been better prepared for the drought that has ravaged most of the country, prompting widespread food shortages? It’s a question that elicits a mixed response from analysts.
Some say that on the basis of past experience, more could have been done.
“For example, water harvesting and storing to use for irrigation during drought (should have taken place),” said Enoch Oudo, a private agricultural consultant in the capital, Nairobi.
“We have had annual floods in parts of the country and the water has gone to waste. The government should have planned wisely to control and store this water for use at such a time.”
But, Kenya’s meteorological officials say it’s not that simple.
“Drought has a tendency of being a creeping phenomenon, in that it is something that cannot be noticed at once. Its effects are slow, and build up,” said meteorologist Samuel Mwangi.
“It is not that the government is not taking this seriously. The government started responding to our early warning immediately we announced that long rains had failed last year. It embarked on distribution of grains to drought prone parts in March this year,” he added.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) notes that the impact of drought can be reduced through economic development and diversification ‒ but that this is not something that can be accomplished overnight.
“It takes a change in the economic structure for people to diversify from farming to other income-generating activities before they can be said not to be vulnerable to drought,” said Ben Watkinson, Programme Advisor in the WFP’s Kenyan office. “But this will take a long time.”
Kenyan authorities warned this week that the country was facing severe food shortages as a result of drought and crop failure — and that 3,3-million people in the East African country faced hunger. This figure could rise to 4,3-million if current weather conditions persisted.
Addressing foreign envoys and journalists in Nairobi, President Mwai Kabaki declared the drought situation in the country a national disaster. He also appealed for more than 100 million dollars in aid from the international community.
“I appeal to both the local and international community to complement our own efforts in combating the negative effects of this severe drought,” Kibaki said Wednesday.
“I would appreciate if all the concerned parties move with speed in providing both food and non-food items in order to avert further suffering of those already affected by the drought and famine.”
Kibaki also said that government had distributed food assistance worth $19-million to communities most affected by the drought. However, current food stocks would only be enough for the next month.
The appeal comes at a time when donors are becoming increasingly vocal about alleged corruption in official circles, and doubts have been expressed as to whether it will fall on sympathetic ears.
On Tuesday, British High Commissioner Edward Clay lashed out at the government, accusing officials of “gluttony”. His comments drew an angry response from the Kibaki administration. Although Clay later went on national television to apologise for the debacle, the British Foreign Office has said that it stands by his remarks.
Similarly, Hilde Johnson, the Norwegian Minister for Development and Cooperation, indicated on Wednesday during a visit to Kenya that her government would withhold aid funds until Nairobi took action against civil servants implicated in corruption.
This followed on the heels of a call by several embassies, including those of important donors such as the United States and Japan, for Kenya to step up its anti-corruption drive. The concerns of diplomats have been motivated, in part, by the scandal surrounding a proposed computer system to regulate visas and other matters.
The contract for this system was awarded to a company, Anglo Leasing and Finance, which was allegedly provided with information that gave it an unfair advantage in the bidding process.
All of this means little in parts of the country that are gripped by hunger, however. It is estimated that there has been a 60 percent crop failure in five of the country’s eight provinces.
The Kenya Food Security Meeting, a forum that includes representatives from the administration, the UN, non-governmental organisations and donor agencies, says both the “short” rainy season (October to Decemeber 2003) and the “long” season (March to May 2004) largely failed.
“There are near-total to total crop failures and poor pasture and browsing in most parts of the Coast, Eastern, Northern, North Eastern and Rift Valley provinces,” reads a statement by the group.
“Grain prices have almost doubled in most parts of the country while livestock prices have declined significantly … People are missing out on meals and children skipping classes to assist their parents in searching for food,” it adds.
Kenya has drawn up a policy on disaster management to prevent loss of life in the event of drought or other hazards.
“This policy has enabled us to respond with urgency to the current drought. So far, no fatalities have been recorded, as compared to droughts in 1995, 1998 and 2001, where deaths were recorded,” Bonaventure Wendo, Director of the National Disaster Operations Centre, told IPS.
The majority of people in Kenya are farmers, with about 80% of the country’s economy dependent on agriculture. — IPS