Leaders appeal for food to feed hungry Juja residents
By Oliver Musembi, January 23, 2023An acute food shortage is looming in Juja, Kiambu County, with a cross-section of leaders seeking assistance for thousands of residents.
Also affected are parts of neighbouring Kiambu, Ruiru and Thika constituencies.
The situation, they said, has been aggravated by failed rains in successive seasons in the largely semi-arid county, which has a huge peri-urban population.
Led by MP George Koimburi and Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Charles Muriithi, the leaders sent out appeals to well-wishers to supplement the government’s food relief donations.
Koimburi and the DCC were launching a food distribution exercise for at least 6,000 hungry residents of Juja, Witeithie, Murera, Theta and Kalimoni wards.
The DCC said that at least 20,000 residents have been identified by his office as being in dire need of food support. He called out for more donations and asked business people, organisations and other well-wishers to channel their support through the local administration.
Minimal rains
“This area has received minimal rains over several seasons. Farmers have no hope of harvesting any produce,” said the MP, who was accompanied by members of the county assembly Jeremiah Kiama (Juja) and Mwibiri Ngugi (Witeithie).
Koimburi revealed that locals who received free rice and beans to last them at least a week, were about a third of those facing hunger in the constituency.
Appealing to the government to scale up distribution of relief food in Juja, the MP said there were thousands of residents languishing in hunger.
“It is evident that our people won’t get a harvest this season after the rains failed. This means more people will be affected by hunger. But we are grateful to the government for coming to our aid and releasing relief food rations,” he added.
To further mitigate the drought situation, the MP said plans were underway to initiate an irrigation project in the area as the government seeks other ways to assist farmers boost their production.
Koimburi said water would be tapped at Ndururumo in Theta Ward and piped to Juja Farm, an agricultural area.
He said he is lobbying for funding for the project. “This is the only way to beat hunger because farmers can no longer rely on disrupted rainfall patterns,” he stated, and noted that farmers in the region are set to receive farm inputs, including fertiliser, which will help improve their production.
MCAs Ngugi and Kiama agreed with the MP, saying that an irrigation project is the only solution to food insecurity as farmers can no longer rely on rains for food production.
Withering in farms
“Most people here are jobless and struggling to provide food for their families. For farmers, their maize is withering in the fields due to lack of rains. There will be a hunger crisis here soon and people need food relief,” Ngugi said.
Kiama, on his part, said the government should consider irrigation as a long-term solution to food shortages, observing that Juja is served by three main rivers whose waters should be harnessed for this purpose. Residents hailed the government for the food donation, but called for more sustainable ways to fight hunger, noting that the food will last them only a few days.
They also pleaded with the government to expedite initiation of an irrigation project, saying that it will help them generate enough food.