By Jeff Mwangi
Meru County Committee on Drought and Relief Food has held an emergency meeting to discuss interventions on the drought and hunger situation which is worsening and heavily affecting school going children.
Speaking after an indoor meeting held at Meru County Commissioner’s Office in Meru town, Commissioner Fred Ndunga said among the issues they discussed were; continuity in distribution of relief foods to schools and water tracking to schools in the affected areas.
Ndunga said that most of the children especially in the lower sub-counties neighbouring Isiolo County are unable to attend schools due to hunger and drought.
“I understand that most of the school going children at the areas neighbouring Isiolo County including Tigania East, Tigania West, Igembe North and Igembe Central are unable to attend classes due to the prevailing drought. We have decided to continue distribution of relief food to schools in these affected areas and also do water tracking to ensure that pupils and students don’t fail to attend classes,” he said.
Ndunga said that 300,000 households have been heavily affected hence the need for quick interventions noting that if pupils and students get food in schools, it will be a relief to parents back at home.
The Commissioner regretted that the hunger affected areas in Meru county are not under school feeding
programmes like the neighbouring areas of Isiolo County.
On invasion of elephants in the farms and some schools in Tigania and Igembe, Ndunga said his office and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) were working together to construct fences for schools where elephants are said to be traversing.
He said the jumbos are moving out of Meru National Park in search of water and pasture but noted that KWS officers were doing all they could to drive them back to the park before they cause harm to school children who walk to school very early in the morning and leave late in the evening.
