DP Gachagua: Here is the paybill number for drought donations

The National Steering Committee on Drought Response committee, through the office of the Deputy President, has released PayBill and bank account details for Kenyans willing to donate cash to assist those facing famine.

The funds collected through the PayBill (880990) and bank account (KCB Account 1305486137) will be used to feed at least 4.3 million Kenyans in the affected 23 counties in the Arid and Semi-Arid areas.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua appealed to Kenyans to heed to the call by the government and contribute part of their income through the paybill number.

According to Mr Gachagua, as of Friday last week the government had mobilised about Sh57.8 billion towards addressing the ongoing drought that has affected several counties across the country.

Data from the government estimates that more than four million Kenyans are currently facing hunger, with families in the 11 counties of Turkana, Samburu, Tana River, Marsabit, Wajir, Isiolo, Mandera, Garissa, Kitui, Kajiado and Laikipia being some of the worst hit by the drought.

Besides the lack of rain, the government has blamed the current hunger crisis to the two-year Covid-19 pandemic that shrunk the economy, the invasion of the desert locust that destroyed crops in farms last year and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Mr Gachagua said that the government intends to raise more funds through the taskforce with the aim of addressing the short and long term effects of the drought.

The DP said that part of the plan will include the distribution of food to the affected families, cash transfer programmes as well as other long term projects aimed at addressing the effects of global warming.