Publisher. korir, africanpress@getmail.no
By Leo Odera Omolo , Kisumu – Kenya
MOST parts of Western Kenya regions are currently experiencing acute shortage of food grains. As the maize which is the staple for multiethnic communities residing in many parts of the regions has suddenly disappeared..
And where this particular commodity is available, the price has gone up threshold, which is unaffordable to the average poor rural families. People are starving seriously, though no death caused by hunger has been reported.
Officially, the Kenya government through the countrys agriculture minister William Ruto has announced the increment in the price of maize from Kshs.1300 per a sack of 90kg to Kshs. 1700 per a bag of 90kg. the new official prices, however, is still being considered as very exhorbitant to the average rural folks.
And also owing to the recent liberalization of prices of food commodities, middlemen and .unscrupulous traders are reported to be making quick kills, especially in remote villages. Administrative chiefs whose responsibilities include the supervision of the distribution of the relief food donated by the government and other international agencies have been reported as selling the same for the purpose of enriching themselves. These unpatriotic administrators are cashing in on the prevailing famine situation.
This time around, even districts which were previously considered safe from hunger are also affected. The food scarcity is well spread covering the entire western regions covering Nyanza, western and rift Valley provinces.
It has affected the agriculturally rich areas such as Migori, Rachuonyo, Gucha, Nyamira, Bomet, Kisii,Suba, Sotik, Trans-Mara, Nyando, Bondo, Siaya and even Kericho districts in the wider southern parts of the Rift Vally highlands.
In the North, grains shortage is being experienced in Pokot, Turkana, Mt elgon, teso, Uasin Gishu, Trans-Nzoia, Bungoma and Marakwet districts.
Trans-Nzoia is always considered as the granary of Kenya as it produces nearly 30 per cent of the total nations harvest. But the on-going armed skirmishes between the government security forces and the outlawed militia groups of the notorious Sabaot Land Defence Force has seriously hampered the cultivation of farms in the region.
The situation has been aggravated by the recent post-election violence, which had sent farmers fleeing their farms. Ripe maize left unguarded in the field were eventually harvested by unauthorized people who were out to capitalize on the unfortunate situation.
A recent government statement explained that Kenya will have to import maize next month {June 2008} to avert acute shortage of food grains. As the result of the post-election violence that gripped the country in the months of January, February and march this year following the harshly disputed presidential election results. The political upheavals that followed forced many farmers out of their farms, mostly in the North and South of Rift Valley. Thousands of small and large scale farmers abandoned their farms and fled for safety.
The move by the government to import about 270,000 metric tones of maize is meant to cushion the countrys maize reserves between the months of august and September.
Kenya is expected to receive maize supplies through cross border trade with the neighbouring Tanzania and Uganda, though Kampala has since banned maize exports, apparently to enable her tackled her own internal food shortage in its northern and eastern regions, particularly in the worst hit Karamoja districts in the east
A recent brief visit to Sirare border town that separates Kenya and Tanzania in deep southern part of Nyanza province revealed that many tracks loaded with maize were crossing the border while ferrying maize from Tanzania at intervals. Most of these tracks headed to the North and are quickly cleared by the border officials, a sign of the life threatening famines situation in the country.
At the same time the residents of the lower locations bordering Lake Victoria have been receiving regular supplies of maize, which is being smuggled by unscrupulous. Racketeers across the border via Lake Victoria, which are said to be relatively much cheaper that the ones coming from Tanzania.
Kenya is expected very little harvest from its traditional maize growing zone as a result of the recent political turmoil. Even the returning IDP people need a lot of relief food from the international agencies and local NGOs and the government in order to sustain themselves..
Although other Southern African region countries such as Malawi and Zambia are reportedly expecting bumper crop harvest, Kenyas access to that maize would come at zero duty because the two nations are members of Comesa. And therefore Nairobi is banking its hope to capitalize on this, said a top government official.
It is being projected that about 11.5 million tones of maize will be produced in South Africa, of which close to 1.5 million tones will be ready for export.
The government has commissioned the national Cereals and Produce Board to import maize from South Africa under this arrangement. Normally the imports of such commodities attracted 50 per cent duty because they come from outside Comesa member states.
The estimated maize availability balance sheet in Kenya indicates that the country maize stock will soon be below the monthly minimum requirement of 270,000 metric tones in august, according to the East African Grain Council {EAGC}
The EAGC is an umbrella organization for key players in the grain and cereals sub-sector in East and Central Africa. It is also part of the regional agricultural trade intelligence network {Retin}.
Already the government has moved with speed and formed committees in each affected districts to access the famine situation in the remotes far flung districts such as West Pokot Marakwet,Turkana Teso, Baringo, Koibatek and other affected areas.
Ends.
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