North Eastern Province Needs Support

President Mwai Kibaki has just toured North Eastern Province where several people have died of hunger. The government has promised help for the forgotten province and thousands of tonnes of relief food have arrived in the area.

That is a very welcome development but is far from being a permanent solution. The best way forward would be to boost food production in the North Eastern Province. Irrigation farming should be introduced and the livestock sector revamped. Abbatoirs and meat canning factories should also be set up and the Wajir Airport also upgraded to handle international cargo flights. Such flights will help the livestock export trade.

There is no gainsaying government efforts so far. They have made and will continue to make a difference. But there is a need to up the ante and take the development game a level higher.