The government has delivered 24.8 tonnes of relief food to Kumi District to support households affected by prolonged drought and food insecurity.
The consignment, delivered through the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), comprises 14.7 tonnes of posho and 10.1 tonnes of beans. It follows a disaster report submitted by the district technical team to the OPM.
Rajab Ogogol, the Kumi District Production Officer, said the food would help families struggling to secure daily meals, although the supplies are insufficient to meet the needs of all affected households.
“This intervention is timely. We appreciate the Government, because the relief will help save those families who have had hardships in obtaining even just a meal daily,” Ogogol said.
He said the district had submitted a list of 15,100 severely affected households, but the consignment was too small to provide meaningful quantities to each family.
“We submitted 15,100 households that were severely affected but the food we have received cannot even reach one kilogram per household,” he said.
Ogogol said a district committee would identify the households most in need and urged sub-county and parish leaders to prioritise the most vulnerable during distribution.
He also cautioned beneficiaries against selling the food, saying it was intended to help families survive as authorities pursued longer-term solutions to food insecurity.Stephen Opolot, the Kumi District LC5 Chairperson, said prolonged drought had affected the entire district, leaving many households in need of assistance.
“However little it is, we must thank government for at least delivering it. Kumi did not harvest anything during the first season. So every family in the district is in need but we shall try to give out and make sure that every family that is in need benefits from this relief,” Opolot said.
He warned local leaders and officials involved in distributing the food against diverting supplies to households that were not in need, saying the district would monitor the exercise.
Meanwhile, Ogogol urged farmers to take advantage of the forecast for above-normal rainfall between October and December 2026 to plant crops that mature quickly.
He recommended potatoes, cowpeas and maize, among other short-cycle crops, and said households should use the expected rains to restore food production.
“The forecast shows we shall receive rains beyond normal from October to December. I urge our farmers to take advantage of this window and plant short-cycle crops like potatoes, cowpeas, maize and others that mature within three months. Utilizing this rain effectively is the only way we shall be relieved from famine. Let every household ensure they have something in the garden,” Ogogol said.
The relief delivery comes as district leaders seek to support households affected by poor harvests and prolonged dry conditions. However, the district has not indicated how many households will receive food from the available consignment-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
