By OMAR AHMED ALI**
THE banner headline of one the local newspapers that carried a sad title (the) “Face of hunger” must have shocked and disturbed many- particularly coming at this time when we are celebrating Christmas and the New Year. The sad story revealed in part: “…in several villages of Mandera District, journalists saw children, women and old people ravaged by famine and reduced to walking frames by lack of food and water.”
The pictures of the one-and-a-half year-old Master Dekow Moulid who is being treated from malnutrition and that of an elderly man Abdulahi Mohamed recovering from acute malnutrition at a hospital sent shivers to many people’s spines. The question that comes to mind is-are these individuals citizens of Kenya? or are they from a different country?
In a separate but related story “Plenty in midst of hunger,” the report notes that ‘the National Cereals and Produce Board is currently unable to cope with the volumes of food being delivered to its depots in the North Rift, yet thousands of people are sleeping hungry in Turkana, West Pokot and Marakwet districts.’
What is going on in Kenya? How did we come to this sad state of affairs in our country? This is a surprising outcome, especially in a country that has an intensive exemplary crop of leadership known for their championship of the poor and the disfranchised. Our leaders, particularly the Members of Parliament, are more concerned with country’s leadership wrangles, the potential vote of no confidence against the head of state, the 2007 election, etc., while Kenyans are dying of hunger and starvation.
For a long time we have been helplessly aware that Kenyans are facing tough economic times but dying from hunger and starvation is the straw. This is not the time for Mandera MP Billow Kerrow or any other politician to play politics with the situation by accusing the government of being insensitive to the needs of the residents and failing to mobilize resources to save them.
Something needs to be done sooner rather than later. The hard hit North Eastern Kenyans are in misery and in dire need of help that President Kibaki has promised them--that help is on the way for them and other Kenyans facing starvation. The president is reported to have summoned four cabinet ministers whose ministries form part of the National Disaster and Response Management committee and needs an explanation as to why the situation was left to go out of hand.The head of state in his Christmas message to the nation noted that “thousands of wananchi in northern Kenya and parts of Coast and Eastern provinces have been rendered destitute as a result of draught for three successive years.
The President said there will be adequate interventions to minimize the impact of the drought.” Kibaki called on Kenyans to extend a helping hand to those in need and to give hope to those in despair. President Kibaki added that as Kenyans celebrate during this festive season, they should remember other members of the national family that are facing various difficulties.
The president has asked Kenyans to remember all those in need of help with financial sacrifice but majority of Kenyans are already poor and broke. It is on this backdrop that I am challenging the 210 Members of Parliament. Let Kenyans see that their legislators are indeed true nationalists and patriotic leaders by shelving their political differences and unite for the first time to assist the ‘national family’ that the president has asked us all to do during this festive season. The lawmakers should forget their individuals’ political party affiliations and take the initiative to contribute one-month salary each to a specific famine fund for the benefits of all those in dire need of food and other necessities.
Should the MPs take this challenge, the president on his part should issue an executive order to the Treasury not to tax the salaries to be contributed to the kitty in order to get the maximum amount of money needed to assist starving Kenyans. At a rate of Sh 770, 000 monthly pay cheque per person and with 210 MPs, the kitty will instantly raise more KSh 160 million. Although the amount is not large enough but nevertheless the money can be used to supplement the government funds which are being used to assist those affected.
This will be national leadership in the true sense and not rhetorical statements and political theatrics. Let Kenyans see if the legislators will take this challenge as they always claim to be fighting for the common man. This is the time for them to stand up and be counted when it matter in making a difference-the common mwananchi is now dying of hunger and starvation, at this moment they need their financial help from all quarters not just from the government. Forfeiting one-month pay will not bring undue financial burden to any of the 210 MPs and their families.
The financial contribution from the majority Christian MPs will be their personal (and their families) Christmas gift to the national family. As for the Muslim legislators it will be either Eid-el Hajj gift or a required alms. For other lawmakers not falling in either of the two religious categories, it will be just a hearty contribution for the general good for the country’s national family.
Boldly speaking, those in the government who were bestowed with the responsibility to handle a situation like this have indeed failed Kenyans. While they continue to enjoy their fat salaries with their families, relatives and friends, fellow Kenyans were and continue to starve to death. These bureaucrats have failed those Kenyans who have paid the ultimate price of dying from starvation and hunger.
**Kenya Times Insight
Jan, 2, 2006
THE banner headline of one the local newspapers that carried a sad title (the) “Face of hunger” must have shocked and disturbed many- particularly coming at this time when we are celebrating Christmas and the New Year. The sad story revealed in part: “…in several villages of Mandera District, journalists saw children, women and old people ravaged by famine and reduced to walking frames by lack of food and water.”
The pictures of the one-and-a-half year-old Master Dekow Moulid who is being treated from malnutrition and that of an elderly man Abdulahi Mohamed recovering from acute malnutrition at a hospital sent shivers to many people’s spines. The question that comes to mind is-are these individuals citizens of Kenya? or are they from a different country?
In a separate but related story “Plenty in midst of hunger,” the report notes that ‘the National Cereals and Produce Board is currently unable to cope with the volumes of food being delivered to its depots in the North Rift, yet thousands of people are sleeping hungry in Turkana, West Pokot and Marakwet districts.’
What is going on in Kenya? How did we come to this sad state of affairs in our country? This is a surprising outcome, especially in a country that has an intensive exemplary crop of leadership known for their championship of the poor and the disfranchised. Our leaders, particularly the Members of Parliament, are more concerned with country’s leadership wrangles, the potential vote of no confidence against the head of state, the 2007 election, etc., while Kenyans are dying of hunger and starvation.
For a long time we have been helplessly aware that Kenyans are facing tough economic times but dying from hunger and starvation is the straw. This is not the time for Mandera MP Billow Kerrow or any other politician to play politics with the situation by accusing the government of being insensitive to the needs of the residents and failing to mobilize resources to save them.
Something needs to be done sooner rather than later. The hard hit North Eastern Kenyans are in misery and in dire need of help that President Kibaki has promised them--that help is on the way for them and other Kenyans facing starvation. The president is reported to have summoned four cabinet ministers whose ministries form part of the National Disaster and Response Management committee and needs an explanation as to why the situation was left to go out of hand.The head of state in his Christmas message to the nation noted that “thousands of wananchi in northern Kenya and parts of Coast and Eastern provinces have been rendered destitute as a result of draught for three successive years.
The President said there will be adequate interventions to minimize the impact of the drought.” Kibaki called on Kenyans to extend a helping hand to those in need and to give hope to those in despair. President Kibaki added that as Kenyans celebrate during this festive season, they should remember other members of the national family that are facing various difficulties.
The president has asked Kenyans to remember all those in need of help with financial sacrifice but majority of Kenyans are already poor and broke. It is on this backdrop that I am challenging the 210 Members of Parliament. Let Kenyans see that their legislators are indeed true nationalists and patriotic leaders by shelving their political differences and unite for the first time to assist the ‘national family’ that the president has asked us all to do during this festive season. The lawmakers should forget their individuals’ political party affiliations and take the initiative to contribute one-month salary each to a specific famine fund for the benefits of all those in dire need of food and other necessities.
Should the MPs take this challenge, the president on his part should issue an executive order to the Treasury not to tax the salaries to be contributed to the kitty in order to get the maximum amount of money needed to assist starving Kenyans. At a rate of Sh 770, 000 monthly pay cheque per person and with 210 MPs, the kitty will instantly raise more KSh 160 million. Although the amount is not large enough but nevertheless the money can be used to supplement the government funds which are being used to assist those affected.
This will be national leadership in the true sense and not rhetorical statements and political theatrics. Let Kenyans see if the legislators will take this challenge as they always claim to be fighting for the common man. This is the time for them to stand up and be counted when it matter in making a difference-the common mwananchi is now dying of hunger and starvation, at this moment they need their financial help from all quarters not just from the government. Forfeiting one-month pay will not bring undue financial burden to any of the 210 MPs and their families.
The financial contribution from the majority Christian MPs will be their personal (and their families) Christmas gift to the national family. As for the Muslim legislators it will be either Eid-el Hajj gift or a required alms. For other lawmakers not falling in either of the two religious categories, it will be just a hearty contribution for the general good for the country’s national family.
Boldly speaking, those in the government who were bestowed with the responsibility to handle a situation like this have indeed failed Kenyans. While they continue to enjoy their fat salaries with their families, relatives and friends, fellow Kenyans were and continue to starve to death. These bureaucrats have failed those Kenyans who have paid the ultimate price of dying from starvation and hunger.
**Kenya Times Insight
Jan, 2, 2006
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