News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

THERE is bumper harvesting of new food grains in some parts of Luo-Nyanza, and the arrival of new maize from the field I expected to reduce the prices f the same to an affordable proportion.

The relief of pressure of acute food shortage in the region is expected to be last only a few weeks, because the crop failure is widespread, most in low-lying locations along the shoreline of Lake Victoria.

The most biting famine which has since been christened “The Ocampo Six” is likely to continue until December. This will depend on how the short rains, which begin in late August and early September, will behave.

“The Ocampo Six” had sent the price of food grain sky rocketing from the previous Kshs 20/ per 2 kg of maize up to Kshs 160/- two kilograms in some regions. The situation is aggravated by the refusal of the neighboring Tanzania to allow its maize to be exported into Kenya.

Apart from banning the import of maize through the normal borders posts, some unscrupulous traders have since resorted to using parts of unguarded Lake Victoria and other “Panya Routes” in the villages, but the quantities which comes via such illicit routes are quite insignificant and cannot help the situation.

Crop failure is wide spread in places like Kano Plains, Nyakach, Karachuonyo, Lambwe Valley, Homa-Bay, Mbita, Gwassi and Nyatike constituencies. On the northern parts the crops failure covered areas like Raried, Alego-Usonga,Ugenya and part of Kisumu Rural constituencies.

In the upper parts of South Nyanza in areas like Kasipul-Kabodo, Rangwe, Rongo, Awendo Uriri ,Migori and Kuria there is bumper harvest. But fear persists that the grain would not last longer due to the scourge of “Ocampo Six” famine, which the locals says is the worst in the 21st century and only compare with two other previous famine “Nyaldiema and Nyngweso” of the 1920s and 1936.

Some older and still surviving Luos still remember other famine like” Ladhiri {1943} and Chung’ni Kimiyi{1961} and Ke Mau Mau of 1953. However, all acknowledged that the “Ocampo Six” will go down as the most biting famine in modern history of the region.

Other region which is reported to have received bumper harvest is Trans-Nzoia and parts of Kuria.

The poor harvest in some parts of Western Kenya is attributed to the supplies of irrelevant maize seedling by prepared by some unscrupulous and unprofessional seed companies, which have sprung up like mushroom in recent years. Also in the business re conmen, know to be using logos and container of the much efficient Kenya Seed Company based in Kitale town in Trans-Nzoia County.

The harvest is nearly 100 per cent better in Ndhiwa district, which of late has become the bastion o food in the greater Southern Nyanza.

Gwassi district which usually known as the bastion of grains in Suba region has witnessed a total crop failure, a making the situation in the two islands of Rusinga and Mfangano even worse.

Another bastion of food production is Uyoma in Rarieda.In some places it rained a lot flogging the crop field, or it rained less and insufficient to support the crop.The situation varied due to the climate change in the region.

Politicians and community leaders in the region have appealed to the peasant farmers to plant roots yielding crops such as cassava and sweet potatoes to avert further deterioration of the famine.

Among them is Nyatike MP Edick Omondi Anyanga and Karachuonyo MP Eng. James Rege. The two legislators have appealed to their constituents to make good use of the short rains by planting cassava and sweet potatoes in places where the two crop could grow and flourish.

Ends