State has enough relief food to ensure no life is lost, CS Ruku says

Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes CS Geoffrey Ruku has assured that the government has enough relief food for the country to ensure that no lives are lost to hunger during the ongoing drought period.

Speaking on Saturday when he led a relief food distribution exercise at Morokani village in Tana North Sub-county, Tana River, the CS said the intervention was part of a broader national response targeting drought-affected regions.

He further revealed that the government would roll out porridge flour distribution in schools across the country to cushion pupils from hunger and ensure that they remain in school.

“The country is experiencing drought in many areas. At least 23 counties are now affected, but the government has set aside enough relief food to ensure that no life is lost due to a lack of food. We are calling upon all the National Government administrative officers, from assistant chiefs to county commissioners, to bring information on any household affected by drought, and we will release food for them,” Ruku said.

“We have also made arrangements to have porridge flour in all our schools across the country, and we will roll out the exercise from next Monday so that we cushion our learners,” he added.

At the same time, Ruku warned all public officers tasked with distributing relief food against diverting it for sale at the expense of vulnerable households who are struggling to put food on the table.

“This relief food is for the most vulnerable, the poor, and those who are most affected. This food is not for the rich or for county commissioners and chiefs to keep at their offices,” he said.

Bura MP Yakub Adow, on his part, thanked the government for responding to the drought crisis in the area by bringing relief food for vulnerable households in his constituency.

“We thank you so much, and the government, for bringing this relief food — more than 900 bags of rice and more than 700 bags of beans — to our people, especially during this month of Ramadhan,” Adow said.

At Morokani village, where at least 10,000 people are currently affected by drought, the Public Service CS distributed 900 50kg bags of rice and 700 50kg bags of beans.

Zena Jogoye, a villager in the area, while thanking the government for the relief food, regretted that it would only last a week for small households and called for the rehabilitation of the Bura Irrigation Scheme so that locals could produce their own food in a more sustainable way.

The sentiments come at a time when at least 3.1 million Kenyans in 23 ASAL counties are in dire need of relief food.

The Kenya Red Cross last week said eight counties are currently experiencing a critical phase, marked by severe deterioration in nutrition, particularly among children.

According to the organisation, Turkana, Mandera, Samburu, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit (North Horr and Laisamis), West Pokot (East), and Baringo (Tiaty) are in the critical category, while Wajir, Tana River, and West Pokot (West) are classified as being in a serious phase.

The humanitarian agency estimates that about 784,000 children are malnourished, while nearly 300,000 households lack adequate food supplies.

The situation follows three consecutive failed rainy seasons — the October–December 2024 short rains, the March–May 2025 long rains, and the October–December 2025 short rains.

Three weeks ago, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua accused the government of mismanaging public funds and failing to allocate adequate resources to drought response efforts.

He alleged that the Sh4 billion recently set aside for drought mitigation was insufficient and claimed leaders from the region were engaged in the plunder of public funds at the expense of suffering residents.

However, President William Ruto hit back, defending his administration, which he said was on top of things as far as drought mitigation was concerned.

“For the first time, we have the most comprehensive delivery of relief food in Mandera County, and the Deputy President has played an integral role in ensuring that everything runs smoothly. The same has been confirmed by Governor Mohamed Khalif,” Ruto said.

Ruto noted that while the short-term solution to drought mitigation includes the distribution of relief food and hay for livestock, his administration is pursuing a long-term strategy to address the perennial problem.