President Mwai Kibaki said the Government would not stop in its crackdown against corruption until the vice is completely wiped out saying appropriate mechanisms have been put in place to consistently deal with both past and present cases of graft.

The President was speaking during a meeting with United Nations Special Humanitarian Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik, who paid him a courtesy call at State House, Nairobi.

On the current famine that has affected most parts of the country, President Kibaki said the Government was working in collaboration with relief agencies and development partners in addressing the problem.

Said the President: “The Government is working with other organizations like the World Food Programme and the Kenya Red Cross Association in its efforts to assist those affect by famine.”

Noting that huge resources were required to boost the Government’s relief intervention, President Kibaki welcomed assistance from development partners, saying the number of those affected by famine in is increasing.

On his part, Mr. Bondevic who is a former Prime Minister of Norway appreciated the elaborate mechanisms put in place by the Government for food distribution to the affected areas.
“I was impressed by the organized way the distribution of food to famine-stricken areas was conducted,” Mr. Bondevic said.

Briefing the President on his tour to various areas affected by famine, the envoy noted that the problem was enormous and assured that he will marshal support from the international community to compliment the ongoing Government’s relief interventions.

He urged the Government to link the immediate relief efforts to the country’s wider development agenda to avoid a recurrence of the situation.

Mr. Bondevic cited the drilling of more boreholes, improvement of the piping system and improved infrastructure as some of the steps that could be taken to alleviate the effects of future drought and famine.
Assessment reports estimates that US dollars 245 million (Ksh 17.8bn) is required for food and non-food needs for 3.5 million people in 25 districts in the country.

Regarding food aid, US dollars 220 million (Kshs 15.9bn) is needed in the next 12 months from March 2006 to February 2007 for purchase and distribution of about 395,000 metric tonnes of food. This projection follows early predictions that the long rains of March to May 2006 may be below normal.

Concerning non-food sectors for the next six months from March to August, US dollars 8.5 million (Kshs 614 bn) will be required for crop production and livestock activities including livestock off take, livestock disease control and purchase of seeds.

In the same period, US dollars 7.5 million (Kshs 542bn) will be needed for health and nutrition activities, approximately US dollars 8.8(Kshs 636bn) for water and US dollars 569,000 (Kshs 41million) required for the education sector, mainly school feeding activities.


Courtesy: PPS