• At least 100 elderly people have received food on Loima after the Star highlighted their plight.
• Residents say at least 17 people have died of starvation in the area; officials put the number at two.
It’s a daybreak in Muruese village in Turkwel, Loima subcounty, where starvation deaths have been reported.
Residents sit in a group of five to 10, hoping to spot the relief vehicle bringing food to their village, thanks to the Star highlighting their plight.
Turkwel assistant chief Martin Lokoyen says famine has led to the deaths of people and thousands of livestock in Muruese village.
He said at least six starvation deaths have been reported in the village.
Turkwel chief Titus Koloi says 11 people have died of starvation.
However, Turkana county executive for Disaster Management David Longiro denied the claims of 11 deaths, saying only two cases have been confirmed.
The Turkana administration said the drought is at an alarming stage in and has affected nearly 800,000 residents, with the Global Acute Malnutrition rate rising to 34.8 per cent.
More than 100 elderly people in Muruese village, Loima, have received food donations from the Kenya Red Cross after the Star highlighted their suffering
Rukia Abubakar, Turkana Red Cross coordinator, said elderly people, children, lactating and pregnant women are the most affected by the drought and hunger.
“As it was reported by the media about the hunger situation in Muruese, we are trying our best to respond to the drought and hunger in the region. Today we have donated foodstuffs for the elderly people who are the most vulnerable in Muruese village,” she said.
Abubakar said they have distributed food aid to about 100 elderly in the village to cushion them from hunger as they await other interventions.
She said they have donated maize flour, beans, rice, cooking fat, green grams and salt to the elderly people.
Samal Logiron, 84, a resident of Muruese, is among residents ravaged by starvation.
Logiron has gone for weeks without getting food. He looks weak and emaciated and cannot stand and walk out of his grass-thatched house without the support of his two canes.
He said the food donated by the Red Cross will help him regain his energy and sustain him for weeks.
“I thank God for answering my prayers. I have been praying so hard to get food and the Red Cross has come through to help. At least these foods will now give me energy and sustain me for weeks,” he said.
He has called on the county, national government and other humanitarian agencies to provide necessary support to the hungry victims.
“I’m lucky, I have gotten food after the media highlighted my plight of going days before getting food to eat. What about those who have not been covered by the media? Many people are starving and are in dire need of food aid,” he said.
Nancy Lopeyok, a resident of Muruese village, appreciated the effort of Red Cross food aid to help the elderly people ravaged by drought and hunger.
“Drought situation is devastating, even if we have received rains it means nothing for us because we have lost thousands of livestock that supported our livelihood to drought.
“This is one of the worst famines I have experienced, we have lost our loved ones due to starvation. These cases of death have been caused by over dependence on food aid from government and humanitarian agencies, unlike before we used to grow our own food,” she said.
She deplored that they have eight irrigation schemes but all of them have been invaded by mathenge, making it hard for them to grow crops leaving them depending on food aid.
Lopeyok has urged the government and other stakeholders to help them clear the invasive mathenge in farms and open up the blocked canals so they can resume farming.
(Edited by V. Graham)