By Leo Odera Omolo

MORE than 45,000 people living in Silale and Kositei villages in the newly created Baringo East district are staring to death by starvation as persistent lack of rainfall continues to hit the area.

Reports emerging from the area says that many families have been surviving on wild fruits which are also hard to find. Children, elderly people and women are the most affected.

A resident of Kabarnet told this writer that the situation is so pathetic with unconfirmed reports of several casualities.. Children, elderly people and women are the most effected.

A recent KTN shocked Kenyans when men, women and children were seen by vieweres in wild chase of rats and mouse in the thick bushes fort their meal, signifying the high degree of hunger facing the communities in the region.

Fears persist that many parts of Kenya would soon follow suit, though the government recently announced that it was importing 3 million bags of maize from a foreign source. The Minister for Agriculture William Ruto had assured the nation that there was nothing to worry.

In some regions of Kenya, especially the tradition maize growing areas had experienced total crop failure owing to the scarcity of rain Maize is the staple. Food for the majority of Kenyan communities. .Its market price has gone up by nearly 80 per cent. In some place 2kg of either maize of maize flour is costing close to Kshs 100/- which is unaffordable to many poor rural families.

Regions like Trans-Nzoia, Trans-Mara, Uasin Gishu, Bungoma Molo, Migori, Kuria, Nandi, Kericho had experienced crops failure due to the unpredictability of the weather. The post-election chaos early this has largely contributed to the on going state of famine in the country. In some places, tribal skirmishes had forced maize farmers out of their farms. They fled while abandoning th1114eir ripe maize in the field, which was eventual harvested by thugs and goons..

Still reeling from the aftermath of post election violence, residents of the agriculturally rich in the North Rift had high expectation on this year’s budget, which was read in parliament by the Finance Minister Amos Kimunya last week. To save them from the sky rocketing food prices.

.Trans-Nzoia and Uasin Gishu districts are the bread basket of Kenya, But there is hardly enough grain for sale to the famine stricken members of the public.

Even worse still ,post election violence in January and February had led to more families
Going hungry because no meaningful farming activities took place during the political upheaval.

In Burn Forest areas within the Uasin Gishu district, looting, arson wholesale destruction of plantations rendered the economic life virtually desfunctional.

Kenyan farmers were also expecting some money to be allocated towards buying their farm produce when they harvest later this year. Measures to cushion them from drought should also be tailored into finance Minister Kimunya’s budget last week{2008/2009}. Kenyan farmers are anxious lots. They have many problems and they have been waiting for the government to provide the solution in this year’s budget.. But according to the agriculture minister Ruto very little was given to the Ministry

Following the post election chaos early this, farmers, particularly those living in the maize producing regions in the North Rift were expecting this year’s budget to subsidise when they harvest later in the year..

“The subsidies should have come during the planting season of the main staple food,,but we still needs them to plant the short-term crops,” said one farmer in Eldoret Town. Mr.John Cheruiyot of Sergoi said that the production of maize and wheat would suffer this year as most farmers were unable to afford fertilizers whose prices skyrocketed from Kshs.1.650/- to kshs 4,000/ for a bag of 50 kg.

A recent survey conduced in Baringo East revealed a grave situation one of human being competing for wild fruits with domestic animals, especially goats and donkeys.

At a village called Kositei in Chemelinget Division, school chidren have been forced to forfeit their studies and abandoned learning in schools as they accompany their parents to the hilltop and forests to look for wildfruits traditionally known as “Sirichon” in the bushes.

This fruit is pounded before being boiled in three different stages to remove the bitter taste and to make it soft. The boiling takes at least 24 hours 24 if the fruits were still fresh, but sometime boiled for two days when they have to dry up.

According to the locals, food especially the common ugali {kimiet}.that is favoritemin almost every household in the country is now increasingly becoming a rare commodity and a rare thing as some residents said they last tested the precious meal some six months ago, and have only been surviving on wild fruits.,

One 75 year old resident0 and a widow reported that her husband has succumbed to death three weeks ago as his thin body could not survive for another day after going without food for more than two weeks. The incident could not be confirmed immediately
The widow Mrs Chebeteltes Lochab a mother of eight said her own chances of survival and also 0slim because she cannot climb up the trees for harvesting the wild fruit due to her age coupled a broken arm

Suffering of many people in Baringo East is evidenced as emaciated children emerged from one of the hats. Locals are really staring at starvation in the face.

One civic leade Coiun Daniel Tumsis said the problem is getting worse day by6day and several people have died in Kositei Ward.”We have a record of seven people in the bushes because The are so weak that their relatives have abandoned them behind as families scampered for the wild in search of the now scarce fruits.

The civic leader said several attempt to get any assistance in the from of relief food from the government have been 00fruitless as they only give empty promises..He alleged that the government has neglected them and wondered who turn to next.

A recent visit to Chemelinget shopping centre which has the new district headquarters ,essential commodities were very expensive as unscrupulous traders take the advantage of the worsening situation. A kilo of maize flour goes for 100shillings a fact that only a few families can manage to raise.

Many families in the area have been forced to flee their homes and migrate and were seen settling along Kotidoe River, the only available water resource in the area.”We were tired of trekking for a long distances looking for water” said Chepurai Longolesia,adding that we came to live near the river because we use a lot of water in cooking wild fruits.We use to walk for more than 20 kilometres to fetch water.”.

The civic leaders reported that it has been very difficult for the villagers as livestock auction they depended were close due to quarantine in the area following the outbreak of peste petit rumantes disease three months ago.

One person alleged that th4e last time they saw an Assistant minister and the MP for the area Osman Kamama was when he was serving as the Minister for Public service shortly before he was relegated to an Assistant minister position in the Ministry of education in the grand coalition government.

In the neighbouring baringo north district the situation is the same and sop is in west Pokot. The acute shortage of food has also spread into Turukana district, and in other districts in Wstern, and Nyanza provinces where close to 100,000 people are facing hunger.

Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com.

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Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:45:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: NORTH RIFT KENYA IS HIT THE HARDEST AS FAMINE BITES DEEP INTO KENYAN REGIONS FORCING CLANSMEN IN BARINGO TO EAT WILD FRUITS