Food For Thought On Food In Kenya

[MOON Ki]

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Article says most of it:

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/10/18/a-country-where-there-is-no-excuse-at-all-for-famine_c1439828

But not to worry.   "Donors" will soon step in; a few grim pictures on their after-dinner television screens, and there will be action.

In the meantime, two kids who will soon have laptops:

[MOON Ki]

Jan 2014:

the Government of Kenya declared an impending drought with an estimated 1.6 million people affected.

Aug 2014:

The acutely food insecure population increased from 1.3 million in February to 1.5 million by August.

Sep 2015:

Findings of the 2015 Long Rains Assessment (LRA) indicate that about 1.1 million people are acutely food insecure and cannot meet their basic dietary requirements, hence requiring immediate food assistance for the next six months

July 2016:

Food insecurity conditions are likely to persist throughout the outlook period, especially in the northeast, northwest, and southeast pastoral areas, and coastal and southeast marginal agricultural areas.

http://reliefweb.int/disaster/dr-2014-000131-ken

This sort of thing goes on year after year with not much changing. 

[RV Pundit]

I don't see kenya calling for donors to feed those disaster stricken folks..which to me is an improvement. Treasury and Gok are releasing money to feed this people. I don't know what else you'd want them to do...prevent drought from happening?

[Empedocles]

From the Star article Moon Ki linked to:

Why have our officials in the planning ministry not been able to look ahead; see that there is a famine looming; and mobilise national resources to deal with this emergency?

This asked in a country where our numero uno priority is always the next elections, nothing else.

At least we can install Tinder on them to solve the food problem. /s

Female students in Kilifi exposed to sex pest as hunger bites harder

[veritas]

There's plenty of relief food but it's been witheld because the govt doesn't want more refugees amassing at refugee camps.

Bother with trucks to distribute WFP sacks currently in storage. A buddy of mine hired 8 trucks to distribute sacks of wheat tucked away in WFP storage facilities for months where the UN dumped for local distribution.

[MOON Ki]

From the Star article Moon Ki linked to:

Why have our officials in the planning ministry not been able to look ahead; see that there is a famine looming; and mobilise national resources to deal with this emergency?

This asked in a country where our numero uno priority is always the next elections, nothing else.

Uncle Sam info:

http://www.fews.net/east-africa/kenya

GoK seems to take the view that food security is a short-term thing: business as usual until things go awry, then act. That is why we have the same situation year after year.  But even when action is required, it is always delivered by a snail:

A news article from June:   

http://www.dw.com/en/hundreds-of-thousands-face-hunger-in-kenya/a-19345933

[MOON Ki]

"As you drive along the Wamba Maralal road and Isiolo Wamba road you will notice a lot of malnourished women on shrubs trying to get wild fruits and seeds, this is all what they can afford to eat," said Chrystone Murungi, Samburu east deputy county commissioner.

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/10/27/samburu-residents-resort-to-wild-fruits-as-sh11m-relief-food-remains_c1445215

Year after year.   No change.   A learning-proof system. With or without warning---and people like Uncle Sam have been warning about this one since around May---it's always the same story of last-minute tears and desperation.

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/10/27/marsabit-drought-getting-worse-warns-governor-ukur-yatani_c1445533

But there's always some "good" news for those having to make do with grass.   For example  : http://www.nipate.org/index.php?topic=3557.0

[Omollo]

There is just one small problem: The drought has expanded to areas it never used to reach and by that food insecurity has hit those areas very hard.

Some areas of Nyanza and Western that used to suffer "hidden" famine are now openly undergoing it and it is bad. As usual elderly people are dying and the cause of death recorded by sub chiefs as "malaria"

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

Uganda and Tz.  Does this shit ever happen to them?

[MOON Ki]

I don't see kenya calling for donors to feed those disaster stricken folks..which to me is an improvement. Treasury and Gok are releasing money to feed this people. I don't know what else you'd want them to do...prevent drought from happening?

It was only a matter of time after, as usual, failure to do nothing despite numerous advance warnings:

Uhuru Kenyatta appealed for international aid and said the government would increase food handouts to the most needy communities.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38934847

Sovereign and independent for 50+ years, economic powerhouse of East Africa, laptops for toddlers, SGR coming.     But  always begging for food.

[Empedocles]

Sovereign and independent for 50+ years, economic powerhouse of East Africa, laptops for toddlers, SGR coming.     But  always begging for food.

Well, to be fair, we do have other more pressing priorities than buying food:

Omera, this is how you hold a fork: Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma spends an eye-watering Sh130 million to teach kids table mannersRanguma said he plans on convincing the County Assembly to allocate more funds for the project.

[MOON Ki]

Well, to be fair, we do have other more pressing priorities than buying food:

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma has launched a Sh130 million scholarship that will see beneficiaries learn table manners.

Sounds like an excellent idea.    We  want people to be well prepared for when they might have some food.   

Once we have trained the would-be eaters, we shall deal with this:

Return of dreaded weed spells doom for lake people

Fishing is one of the hardest hit with stocks dwindling and fishermen unable to navigate their boats. To make matters worse, the weed has been blamed for the death of 90,000 fish that were caged by fishermen.

The Nation has established the Sh82 million machine, bought with the help of the World Bank to fight the weed, has been idling in Kisumu for a year.

 
  http://www.nation.co.ke/counties/kisumu/return-dreaded-weed-hyacinth-spells-doom-lake-people/1954182-3800122-pqpbw3z/index.html

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000229040/machine-worth-sh81m-idle-as-water-hyacinth-chokes-lake-victoria

In the meantime, I urge all Kisumu residents who have not yet done so to rush out and register to vote for their Great Leaders.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

So I guess no more people eating with their mouths open in Kisumu thanks to Ranguma wise investment.  Maybe that will bump up tourist numbers?

Ranguma should be a shoo-in for second term as long as he makes sure he is on the right side of baba.

[MOON Ki]

When I started this thread the number was not more than 1.5 million.

The number of Kenyans facing starvation has risen from 2.7 million to three million.

Agriculture PS Richard Lesiyampe yesterday said the government has done its best, but Sh11 billion is still needed to fight the ravaging drought up to July.

"We have approved Sh7.4 billion to be used in the second phase between February and April. But we have a gap of Sh11 billion and we have appealed to development partners to help," he told the press at KICC.

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2017/02/17/number-of-starving-kenyans-rises-to-3m-state-seeks-sh11bn_c1508073

Probably not the time for "African solutions for Africa problems" and "Western neo-colonial, imperialists f**k off!".    Perhaps things are going quite well: SGR, laptops, Konza City for leapfrogging directly into a service economy, world-leading MPESA, economic powerhouse of East Africa (visited by very important people) that should throw its weight around, etc.    We'll eat later ... if the "donors" are OK with that.

Anyways ... what matters right now is getting our man into that kula-nyama position, and we must focus on that.   This business of no-food for so many is a regularity that should be over by August, with no more worries until 2019.   

[Empedocles]

Anyways ... what matters right now is getting our man into that kula-nyama position, and we must focus on that.   This business of no-food for so many is a regularity that should be over by August, with no more worries until 2019.   

Much more attainable than the 2030 mirage. 

[Globalcitizen12]

[MOON Ki]

BBC, Al Jazeera and Do gooders will have to come and shame the bandit government for it to act

If we had any sense of shame, or even just basic self-respect, we would not be here: starving and begging, year after year.    And, between "starvation sessions", insulting those that we beg from---we don't need them, we must be treated as equals, etc..     

Grim photos.   After 50+ years of whatever.   Healthy mzungu, desperate mweuzi.   Help save a life.   

Instead of (or in addition to) just passing around such photos, as the author of the article suggests, I urge people to write/speak/etc., wherever and whenever they can, on the need for African governments to focus on important basics.    Instead of (or in addition to) "save a life" handouts, encourage and contribute to self-sustaining solutions.

[Globalcitizen12]

BBC, Al Jazeera and Do gooders will have to come and shame the bandit government for it to act

If we had any sense of shame, or even just basic self-respect, we would not be here: starving and begging, year after year.    And, between "starvation sessions", insulting those that we beg from---we don't need them, we must be treated as equals, etc..     

Grim photos.   After 50+ years of whatever.   Healthy mzungu, desperate mweuzi.   Help save a life.   

Instead of (or in addition to) just passing around such photos, as the author of the article suggests, I urge people to write/speak/etc., wherever and whenever they can, on the need for African governments to focus on important basics.    Instead of (or in addition to) "save a life" handouts, encourage and contribute to self-sustaining solutions.

There are no long term solutions, we will pray for rains in April and once they come we will just use this sad pictures to wrap meat and life goes on. The shame I am talking about is the one of "saving Face" and getting a chance to claim we are an independent young nation that has some challenges.. I had some close friend hit me up on messenger asking I pull down the picture because it is not that of a Kenya. he stated that why are mzungus showing these pictures now during an election year. Everything until after Supremo court bay of pigs is about erections

[Georgesoros]

The other day a couple in Kenya wanted to spend 100 shillings on a wedding. When news got around sponsors took over the wedding and donated 3 million shillings for a lavish wedding they never wanted. Priorities my countrymen. Meanwhile people in Pokot are starving and the govt is asleep.

BBC, Al Jazeera and Do gooders will have to come and shame the bandit government for it to act

If we had any sense of shame, or even just basic self-respect, we would not be here: starving and begging, year after year.    And, between "starvation sessions", insulting those that we beg from---we don't need them, we must be treated as equals, etc..     

Grim photos.   After 50+ years of whatever.   Healthy mzungu, desperate mweuzi.   Help save a life.   

Instead of (or in addition to) just passing around such photos, as the author of the article suggests, I urge people to write/speak/etc., wherever and whenever they can, on the need for African governments to focus on important basics.    Instead of (or in addition to) "save a life" handouts, encourage and contribute to self-sustaining solutions.

There are no long term solutions, we will pray for rains in April and once they come we will just use this sad pictures to wrap meat and life goes on. The shame I am talking about is the one of "saving Face" and getting a chance to claim we are an independent young nation that has some challenges.. I had some close friend hit me up on messenger asking I pull down the picture because it is not that of a Kenya. he stated that why are mzungus showing these pictures now during an election year. Everything until after Supremo court bay of pigs is about erections

[MOON Ki]

Just took a look at the national budget for 2017-2018.     Some highlights:

(a) The laptops-for-toddlers: Sh. 13 billion+

(b) The entire State Department for Irrigation: Sh. 13 billion, with only about half of that going to irrigation.   

(c) Remember the Galana project?  Started something like five years ago?  A million irrigated acres to keep Kenyans fed?  Targets for the coming year: 10K acres; the year after that, 10K acres; the year after that, 10K acres.    (Yes, it's the same 10K acres ... model farm.  And, no, you may not ask where all the money has gone.)

Now for a guessing game: Imagine the near future.   Three guesses as to who will be crying about oh what terrible times,  the rains have failed, and would the international community please save us from starvation.   Only three guesses!

Or perhaps not.   Maybe the toddlers will use their new skills on Ajira, earn big bucks, and use MPESA to send a little something to hungry.