HUNGRY "MOUTHS"-THE KENYAN TRAGEDY

Though world is now focusing on the human tragedy that is unfolding in the Horn of Africa where Somalian population is facing mass starvation while the political uncertainties continue to impede any relief that can be launched by the international community. Equally disturbing is the situation in Kenya where a duly elected democratic government is supposed to be functioning and in spite of food aid pouring into the country the population is still under great stress because of shirking of responsibility by those who have been mandated to look after the well being of the unfortunate citizens of this country. It is true that the present drought is the worst in 20 years but one has to concede that droughts are not new in Africa and only callousness and irresponsible policies can lead to such a dire situation. Here is a take on this unfortunate situation in Kenya through the lens of a dispassionate observer..

"Today, millions of Kenyans face starvation in the arid and semi-arid parts of the country as they try to survive the worst drought in over 20 years. As government agricultural strategy falters, its disaster response programmes stutter — while public debate engenders even more fear and desperation as Kenyans die slow, undignified, needless deaths. We seem paralysed and unable to respond to the plight of fellow Kenyans with an urgency borne of compassion. As if we really couldn't be bothered. Why do we need government if all our essential, most meaningful work, is routinely assigned to the European Union, World Food Programme and the Red Cross? Article 43 (1) (c) states that every person has the right to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality. In that legal provision is the measure of the sufficiency and efficacy of our responses to the food problem so far. It is the duty of the State to ensure that every person in Kenya does not suffer hunger. This is to say that, at any given time, the Kenya food supply system -- the produce market and the national food reserves -- must have food in quantities sufficient to feed all Kenyans if they were short of food. That is why the Constitution takes the trouble to set out "adequate food".

Constitutional provision to guarantee food is one thing but those in charge of the country has to work out long term strategies to anticipate food shortages through an effective food security foundation. There is an element of truth in the observation that "easy" economic and food aid channeled into this country from international donors has lulled the government into complacency and the much needed indigenous efforts to evolve a food security system became a casualty. Paradoxically the blame for the situation is being shifted to foreign donors who are claimed to have defaulted on $ 325 million promised, not even 50% of it received so far! However there is a silver lining among the gathering clouds as the prices of commodities like Tea and Coffee have risen dramatically in the global market, fetching more foreign exchange to the country. Agriculture constitutes 25% of the country's GDP while 50% of the exports is accounted for by Tea, Coffee and other agriculture products. As this country is experiencing repeated droughts over the years, many experts feel that there has to be a total over haul of the food system that can adapt itself better to stress conditions. For example there some pundits who recommend replacing the Cows with Camels which are more sturdy and yield milk of good nutritional and keeping quality. Amidst such a desperate situation there is a lurking suspicion that Kenyans are forced to eat genetically modified donated food without their knowledge and if true, this needs to be condemned as outrageous whether it has been done with or without the full knowledge of the government.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com