Government will build 100 dams to enhance food security: Linturi
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi (centre) with Other Officers from the ministry tour the Kenya Meat Commission at Kibarani in Mombasa in this photo taken on November 4, 2022.Linturi has said the government will build 100 dams to enhance food security.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mithika Linturi has said the government will build 100 dams to enhance food security.
The CS stressed that the dams which will mitigate the ravaging drought will be constructed in three years.
Speaking at Iriamurai Primary School of Mbeere area in Embu County as he launched a relief food distribution exercise, Mr Linturi said it was a shame that Kenyans were still suffering from hunger sixty years after independence.
"To produce enough food for everyone, Kenyans should stop depending on rain fed agriculture," said Mr Linturi.
The CS said the government will employ modern irrigation technology to increase food production.
He asked Kenyans to be ready to embrace Irrigation agriculture for better yields.
"The war against hunger can only be won if all of us work towards food production," he said.
He explained that Agriculture employs 60 per cent of Kenyan population and the government would heavily invest in it.
The CS also asked Kenyans to plant trees to mitigate the effects of climate change.
" Climate change is real and our action today will determine how our future will be," he said.
He asked Kenyans to heed to calls by President William Ruto so that Kenya can have five billion trees in ten years.
Mr Linturi asked residents living in arid areas to plant drought resistant crops such as cassava and sorghum to fight hunger.
During the function the CS announced that the government has released 3,600 bags of relief food to each of the three Sub-counties affected by hunger in Embu to feed the starving drought victims.
He assured Kenyans that the government will ensure that no one dies of hunger.
"We shall get enough food for the drought stricken victims and there should be no cause for alarm," he said.
Embu Senator Mr Alexander Mundigi said the biting drought has forced scores of children out of school and thanked the government for coming to their rescue.
"We have not had rain for two years and we thank the government for addressing our problems," he said.
He also expressed concerns over increasing insecurity in the region and asked the CS to intervene.
"Our cows and goats are being stolen by criminals who have invaded the area. Security should be beefed up for our animals to be safe," he said.
The County Commissioner Stephen Kihara said the national and county governments were working together to fight hunger in the region.
