This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
On October 8, 2019, reports emerged of a possible loss of Sh10 billion earmarked for drought mitigation, a development that presents a perverted sense of irony.
The loss of any public money, no matter the amount and department, is criminal. However, it is extremely bad if that money is meant to feed the starving and save lives.
The National Drought Management Authority, a government agency created to address the perennial food shortages in the country, cannot account for some Sh10.4 billion it was allocated in the 2017/2018 financial year, according to a report by the Auditor-General.
Given the pervasiveness of hunger in Kenya, the government allocates cash for food aid every year and receives donations from international organizations for the same purpose.
However, paradoxically, it is these allocations for the deprived that cannot be properly accounted for. This is not the first time questions are being raised over the utilization of food cash.
On several occasions, government officials and individuals have been caught stealing cash or the actual food meant for the starving population.
The government has announced plans to stop direct food aid and replace it with cash transfers, citing the fact that food handouts were being stolen and redirected, hardly benefiting the targeted groups.
However, cash transfer is also vulnerable to theft and massive losses.
More fundamentally, the government must address itself to food security and shift from perennial relief food.
The creation of the National Drought Management Authority is an oxymoron, an admission that the State cannot feed the citizens and has to create an emergency outfit.
The relevant agencies, such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, ought to get to the bottom of the matter and take drastic action against the culprits.
