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{
"id": 84889,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/84889/?format=api",
"text_counter": 276,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. M.M. Ali",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Special Programmes",
"speaker": {
"id": 74,
"legal_name": "Ali Mohamud Mohamed",
"slug": "ali-mohamud-mohamed"
},
"content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to give a Ministerial Statement on the status of food distribution by the World Food Programme (WFP) and selection of lead agencies as demanded by Mr. Ethuro. The Government, in partnership with WFP, has been providing food assistance to needy populations in the country for many years. That has been done through various programmes. From 2000 to 2009, the Government and WFP implemented emergency operation programmes which provided relief food to millions of needy Kenyans. However, from May last year (2009), that programme was replaced by what is now called protracted relief and recovery operation that will run for three years ending in April 2012. This programme has got two components, namely; food for asset programme and general food distribution. In food for asset programme, food is given to beneficiaries who are engaged in community projects aimed at enhancing their resilience in disasters. These are usually small scale projects that are considered assets for the community in times of drought. These projects are identified and implemented by the communities and examples include water pans, water harvesting, feeder roads and soil erosion conservation projects, among others. Food for assets used to be called food for work. In general food distribution, vulnerable populations are provided with free food without having to work on any project. This targets populations who may be weak due to age or sickness or in cases where food shortage is so severe that people have to be assisted first before they are strong enough to engage in community work. The beneficiaries of this programme are listed below. General food distribution totals to 1.2 million Kenyans. Food for assets programme totals to 406,000 Kenyans. Supplementary feeding and mother to child health care â 400,000 Kenyans and Expanded School Feeding Programme â 346,000 children. Food distributed by WFP since January, 2010 to date is as shown on the attached table and I think the hon. Member can go through his copy and will be able to interrogate me as necessary. In the interests of time, I will skip that. The beneficiaries who may have missed out on some circles of food distribution cannot be given food in arrears, because food is distributed according to the needs of a particular time. Food, therefore, cannot be eaten in arrears. Therefore, we do not compensate for that. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the lead agencies, also called co-operative partners, and non-governmental organizations based in the districts that are under the protracted relief and recovery operation programme; some of the non-governmental organizations are local while others are international organizations. Examples of international agencies include World Vision, Action Aid and Oxfam, while local ones are Amati Catholic Diocese and the Kenya Red Cross Society, among others. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the primary responsibility of the lead agency is to manage the distribution of relief food to needy populations and to oversee the implementation of the food for assets programme. The roles of lead agencies as required by the hon. Member are enumerated here, and in the interest of time again, I will skip this for the hon. Member to be able to go through it and interrogate me."
}