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Govt criticized over famine
relief
By Agencies ( Sunday, October 16, 2005)
The government has been accused of using famine relief food to woe
voters in drought stricken Ukambani area to endorse the proposed
draft constitution during the November 21 referendum.
Cabinet Minister Raila Odinga, former Vice President Musalia
Mudavadi and Kanu Secretary general William Rutto said famine
stricken people in the country must be fed by the government. They
said it was the responsibility of the government to feed its
people in times of drought and other calamities and should not
wait to be reminded by politicians that people were suffering.
The Orange luminaries were speaking in an Eldoret hotel during a
press conference Saturaday where they down played the State house
meeting between Health Minister Charity Ngilu and President Kibaki
saying the verbal agreement was inconsequential.
Raila said the government failed to honour a written memorandum of
understanding before the 2002 general election and was not
expected to honour any agreement.
They questioned why the government had to wait until Mrs. Ngilu
visited State house to increase relief food allocation to the
region yet every other day reports of food shortages have been
carried in the local press.
On the Land Title deeds to be issued to Ogiek in Nakuru, Mr. Rutto
the Eldoret North MP said it was another game the government was
trying to use to woe voters in the expansive Rift Valley but added
that the issuance of the Title deeds was long over due.
On the recent alleged defection of some civic leaders from West
Pokot district from Orange Camp to the Banana camp Mr. Samuel
Moroto said the alleged defectors were non entities in the
district and therefore were not expect to add any votes to the
Banana basket. Mr. Moroto said the entire West Pokot residents
supported the Orange campaign.
The MPs who will address Rallies in Uasin Gishu and Keiyo district
today called on the government to extend the relief food to all
the areas affected by famine in the country instead of
concentrating on the larger Ukambani area.
They said the entire North Eastern province, Coast some parts of
the Rift Valley are in dire need of relief food.
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