By John Majau
Meru County Assembly Majority Leader and the chairperson of the Kenyan Assemblies Majority leaders’ caucus Victor Mutuma Karithi has urged the national and county governments to introduce school feeding programs in hunger stricken regions in Meru.
Mutuma noted that learners have started dropping out of school in search of food and water as a result of the biting drought and starvation in Tigania region.
Speaking during a food donation exercise to vulnerable groups at Athwana ward, Mutuma said that the region has been experiencing rain shortages for the past two years.
The Majority leader, who is also the Athwana ward MCA, said that schools risked losing learners if the government doesn’t intervene faster.
Mutuma also cautioned that the ravaging drought might result in deaths if proper mitigations aren’t put in place.
A group dubbed Social Quarantine in partnership with Catholic Justice and Peace Commission was also present at the event.
The group’s chairperson Mutuma Mbabu, said their group has been donating food and supporting vulnerable people in the county.
His sentiments were supported by the group’s secretary general Joel Mutuma who called on other professionals to join the group to enable them donate food to the less fortunate.
Joel called on the government to urgently come up with plans to distribute relief foods to affected families in Meru to save lives and ensure education is not disrupted.
Sr Winfred Nkanya of Nazareth Sisters noted that People with Disabilities and the elderly are the most affected by the drought.
