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Nairobi, August 11, 2009
Cabinet Brief
The Cabinet has today held a special session to discuss measures that should be taken to effectively deal with the water, food and energy shortfalls in the country.
The meeting deliberated on a range of measures including those proposed by the Cabinet committee that met with President Mwai Kibaki and the Prime Minister Raila Odinga, at Harambee House late last month.
The Cabinet agreed on measures to ensure expenditure rationalization and cuts to finance the multi-pronged and rapid response emergency interventions.
Today’s meeting that was chaired by President Kibaki at State House Nairobi agreed on the following short, medium and long term measures.
1. Immediately mobilize the Military, National Youth Service and Administration Police to provide transport and other logistical assistance in the delivery of food, water and medicine to districts hardest hit by the drought.
2. Use existing mechanisms such as the Emergency Operation Program (EOP), and the School Feeding program to reach other areas that also require food and water assistance.
3. The School Feeding Program will continue during the current school holiday in the worst hit areas.
4. The provision of subsidized seed and fertilizer to enhance food production in the upcoming planting season.
5. Undertake emergency livestock off-take and other assistance to pastoralists.
6. Install emergency power generation capacity to make up for the loss of hydro generated power and promote the use of energy saving bulbs.
7. Take concrete steps to deal effectively with conflicts arising from the competition for food and pasture in parts of the country.
The government has created a Crises Response Center to be based at The Office of the Prime Minister. The Center will be chaired by the Prime Minister while the Permanent secretary Special Programs will serve as the response center coordinator.
The Center will work directly with District Committees.
The Cabinet also resolved as follows;
Ø That subsidized and affordable seeds and fertilizer be availed on a long term and sustainable basis to ensure food security in the country.
Ø There is need to expand the current water storage through construction of several new dams and rehabilitation of new ones.
Ø The drilling of new boreholes will be intensified.
Ø Local communities and individuals will also be encouraged to increase their water storage.
Ø Increase power generation by an extra 2000 MW’s in the next five years with emphasis on green energy.
The Cabinet also appealed to national and local leaders to educate their communities to respect the ownership and user arrangements for resources such as water and pasture in order to avoid conflict between various communities.
The government will launch a Special Emergency Program early next week.