Bimonthly cash transfer to arid counties to continue, Kobia says

The Government has said it will continue disbursing Sh547 million every two months to four arid counties.

This is part of the measures Government has put in place to tackle severe drought among poor and vulnerable families.

Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs and Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia (pictured) yesterday said the Sh274 monthly equivalent will be spent on the provision of cash transfers to vulnerable households through the National Drought Management Authority’s Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP).  The cash will cover some 100,800 households in the four arid counties of Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera and Wajir.

“Under the programme, each of the 100,800 households receives Sh5,400 every two months as regular cash transfer amounting to  Sh547 million every two months,” said Kobia in a statement.

Other than the cash transfers, she said the government is also supporting ASAL counties in rehabilitation and maintenance of boreholes, water trucking and provision of fuel Subsidies to Strategic Boreholes.

“Other support areas include purchase and distribution of livestock feeds, community peace dialogue meetings, and livestock disease, parasite and vector control and prevention,” she stated.

Kobia also said county governments are supporting the affected communities by providing relief food and also undertaking water tracking, Prof Kobia said.

“Various humanitarian agencies and development partners are also complementing the government efforts on drought response by providing drought relief to the affected areas,” Prof Kobia said. The Emergency Relief Cash Transfer Programmes started being implemented last  December.