HUSSEIN SALESA
President Uhuru Kenyatta has banned maize export with immediate effect following ravaging drought in the parts of the country.
The Head of State also warned that stern action will be taken against any person found exporting or taking advantage to reap from the drought situation.
“We will not accept any trader to buy maize in large amount so as to store them and eventually cash in following the ravaging drought in the country,'' said Uhuru.
The President said both the national and county governments must revise their budget in order to address the drought menace in the country and cushion Kenyans against the effects of drought.
Uhuru was addressing residents in Isiolo during an event to sensitise masses on the voter registration exercise ahead of the Augusst 8 General-Election.
Isiolo Governor Godana Doyo said his government would come up with measures to combat recurrent drought to cushion the pastoral communities against livestock losses.
Doyo said his government would sink more boreholes and dams in strategic grazing reserves on which the communities can fall back to during the short rains.
He said plans were underway to harvest rain water into big dams for farming to encourage the residents to venture into large-scale farming.
The Governor also advised pastoral communities to try a hand into farming and revealed that the county government had availed more tractors to encourage them towards the practice.
He observed that lack of food in the region and more so in the northern parts of the country was as a result of farmers failing to use proper advise when dealing with food security.
Doyo noted that farmers had also failed to diversify their livelihood through venturing into drought resistant crops as a copping mechanism for the drought in the areas.
The post Uhuru bans maize export in wake of ravaging drought appeared first on Mediamax Network Limited.