Drought Situation in Turkana
Last week, Government Spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua challenged anybody with information about people suspected to have died of starvation and not illness or old age to volunteer such information to the government. Dr Mutua even indicated that provincial reports from the drought stricken regions were yet to confirm any such deaths. Citizen TV took up the challenge by Dr Mutua and travelled to Turkana in search of such information. As it turns out, such information is readily available from local provincial administrators like the chief of Kalapata location in Turkana who says he keeps a detailed log of all those who died of hunger related complications in a black book, now known as the book of death. Judy Kosgey with that story.
Turkana drought
The United Kingdom has pledged 17.5 billion shillings in emergency aid to help drought victims in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. The news comes just in time with a report released yesterday predicting that as many as 3.5 million people in Kenya alone will be in need of food aid in the next few months. Wajir district and the greater Turkana region are among the worst hit areas. Kenya Red Cross statistics show that about 800000 people in the Turkana region are dependent on donors. KTN's Betty Kyallo has just returned from Turkana Central and brings us this report.
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Turkana raid
www.ntv.co.ke A senior police officer was shot dead earlier on Thursday in Turkana as suspected cattle rustlers raided a village in that county. The corporal and five other police officers had responded to a residents' distress call in Lokori area. At least two of the raiders were also killed in the ensuing shootout. And as NTV's Nimrod Taabu reports on the chilling daytime drama from Lokori.
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Turkana killing fields
www.ntv.co.ke Fifty people are still unaccounted for following the attack in Todonyang , Turkana county by Merille tribesmen. Twenty-five people have so far been confirmed dead in the raid that occurred two days ago. The attacks are not the first and as NTV's Brenda Mulinya reports, area residents believe that the attacks are linked to the rituals of the Merille in Ethiopia.
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Turkana irony
www.ntv.co.ke Bodies of five victims of Turkana's flash floods are yet to be recovered amid fears that they could have been buried in mud. The five are among the nine killed after a matatu was swept away by raging floods. Weathermen say the current rains being experienced in parts of the country will be shortlived and as Vincent Oduor reports, it's all down to global warming.
Turkana attack
www.ntv.co.ke Security forces in Turkana are searching for six General Service Unit (GSU) officers who went missing following a raid at Todonyang that left one the GSU officers dead. Heavily armed militia from Ethiopia carried out the raid. There has been an increase in raids along the countrys porous borders raising serious questions about the governments resolve in securing its borders. Dennis Onsarigo reports
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Kenyans for Kenya supplies head for Turkana
www.ntv.co.ke Relief food worth over 18 million shillings, acquired through the Kenyans for Kenya initiative, is on its way to Turkana County. The foodstuffs, which form the first consignment from the non-governmental campaign, Will be distributed to vulnerable children and nursing mothers. But as Brenda Mulinya reports, the government is also being challenged to put in place long-term measures of addressing the food scarcity in the country, in order to stop dependency on relief supplies.
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Turkana hospital gets facelift
www.ntv.co.ke Lodwar Distrct Hospital has received a facelift following a 4 milion shilling funding to improve services . The hospital is now partnering with an NGO to ensure turkana children receive proper medical attention.
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Turkana Chiefs Warning Letters
The government is seeking to downplay reports that it has threatened to sack chiefs in northern for speaking to Citizen TV over the famine situation and giving an account of the deaths said to have occurred as a result of hunger. Internal security permanent secretary Francis Kimemia claimed the government only wanted the chiefs to explain why, if indeed the deaths occurred as a result of hunger; they could not prevent them given that adequate relief food had been made available to all provincial administrators. However as we reported yesterday, the letters seen by Citizen TV want the chiefs to show cause why they should not face disciplinary action including summary dismissal without benefits for allegedly giving to citizen TV journalists a position that was contrary to the official government position. Willis Raburu has that report.
Turkana's suffering
www.ntv.co.ke In the drought-stricken County of Turkana, hundreds of families are fighting for survival in the face of ravaging hunger. NTV's Nimrod Taabu now reports from Kang'ipur village in Kalapata location, Turkana East where images of malnourished children and emaciated adults underline what we report in no less terms; the crisis of Kenya.
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Turkana insecurity
www.ntv.co.ke The government is warning that it will use maximum force to end attacks along the common border of Turkana and West Pokot counties. The Rift Valley PC who chaired a peace meeting at Sigor, told the communities to respect security agents posted there. Early this week, raiders carried out two attacks against a police post along the Pokot border.
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Hope in Turkana
www.ntv.co.ke In Turkana though a region known for food shortages, there is renewed hope. Farmers in Turkana East District are expecting a bumper harvest courtesy of a successful irrigation project on 750 acres of land. Local residents expect the harvest to last them at least six months. Nimrod Taabu reports.
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Turkana Water Crisis
www.ntv.co.ke The Japanese government will increase funding of water project in Turkana. The Japanese ambassador to Kenya made the announcement as he toured the region to inspect projects funded by his government.
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Ray of hope for Turkana girl-child
www.ntv.co.ke The mission to empower the African girl-child continues. Hundreds of young girls across the country often go without education , getting married off early instead. But a centre in is striving to keep girls in school through an innovative initiative. Local women at the St. Cecilia Centre of the Lodwar Catholic Diocese are making reusable sanitary pads for girls, and their efforts are getting noticed.
Turkana Child Gets Sponsor
Do you remember the pictures of the five year old boy who was captured suckling goats in drought - hit Turkana South on Citizen TV? Ekadeli Lobeiyo is in town under the invitation of Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Livestock Kenneth Lusaka, who has offered to take him to boarding school and pay for his school fees from primary all the way to university. Ekadeli was accompanied by his father for his first journey to the capital city Nairobi, during which he boarded a vehicle for the very first time as well. Judy Kosgey broke the story of the boy's survival strategy and was on hand again to witness his life changing moment.
Turkana and Jie make peace finally
Modern ways gave way to African tradition to restore peace between warring communities from Uganda and Kenya that have been separated for years. Elders of the Jie Community of Uganda met with their Turkana counterparts in Turkana West District for a cleansing ceremony, which was also meant to end years of hostility.
A Food Independent Turkana?
If ever there was doubt that Turkana, and indeed the entire Northern Kenya region, could be food sufficient, then a pilot project sponsored by the World Vision in Kainuk in Turkana South as well as another one in Kongelai village in West Pokot County will serve as proof that the region can actually be turned into a bread basked not only for northern Kenya but even the entire country. Judy Kosgey has just returned from Kainuk in Turkana South and filed the following report.
Turkana Chief and Assistance Interdicted
It appears the government is moving to clampdown on access to information regarding the current famine situation in the northern part of Kenya, after it dispatched warning letters to provincial administrators on the ground who speaks to the media without consulting the relevant government authorities. one such letter is addressed to the chief of kalapata location in turkana south who last week told a Citizen TV crew that he had recorded at least five deaths in his location as a result of hunger. the letter signed by turkana south district commissioner cites the chief for gross misconduct saying he made remarks that were contrary to the government position on the drought situation and as such he should show cause why he should not be face severe disciplinary including summary dismissal without terminal benefits. and as Judy Kosgei reports, area mp Josphat Nanok has rushed to the defence of the chief, instead accusing the government of trying to cover up the real situation in northern Kenya.
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Farming in Turkana County
www.ntv.co.ke Murolem in Turkana East is one of the few places where crop production is being practiced in the vast and generally dry County. And as hundreds are ravaged by hunger and drought in many parts of Turkana, farmers in Morulem have been irrigating their food crops. Nimrod Taabu has more from a county with two tales of hunger and food production.
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Raila Visits Turkana
The Government has announced plans to put about 10000 hectares of land under irrigation in Turkana as a long term measure to curb the perennial food shortages in the area. Prime Minister Raila Odinga made the announcement when he led a government delegation in assessing the drought situation in the region. Odinga said the government was keen to make the area self--sufficient in food production, through a 700 million shillings irrigation project. The delegation also toured the Imorulem Irrigation scheme in Turkana, an apparent success story of irrigation easing the suffering for many, just 100 kilometres from where people are starving. Hussein Mohamed with that headline story.
Turkana wonder tree
www.ntv.co.ke In the midst of the harsh weather conditions of Turkana, a tree species thrives. And in the process, it provides a much-needed economic lifeline to the communities there. From the Doum Palm, the Turkana people are able to get food, cooking fuel as well as material for weaving baskets for sale or fashioning thatching material. Francis Mutegi has more details of the significance of the Doum Palm in Turkana, which is also known as Mukoma tree in Kiswahili.
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Hope amidst adversity
www.ntv.co.ke Mothers in Turkana are hanging onto hope with disease taking over from where hunger has left, threatening the lives of their young ones. Malnutrition levels in the county are at an all time high and as Vincent Oduor reports, Kaikor village has born the brunt of the unforgiving drought.
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Turkana woman breastfeeds orphaned goat
www.ntv.co.ke A woman in Turkana has been taking care of an orphaned she goat for five months in an unorthodox manner. The woman rescued the kid from its dying mother's womb and has been nourishing it at her breast for the last five months. And as Brenda Wanga reports, it is the ultimate sacrifice for a woman from a community that places great value on livestock.
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Over 40 People Feared Dead in Turkana
Over 40 people are feared dead after heavy overnight fighting between the Turkana and militiamen from the Merille tribe of Ethiopia in Todonyang area of Turkana County. According to police, 25 bodies, comprising 21 Kenyans and four Ethiopians have been recovered, so far. The rest of the bodies are still missing. According to deputy police spokesman Charles Wahango, security personnel have been dispatched to restore order in the area after it was reported that both communities were planning retaliatory attacks. Sheila Sendeyo opens our bulletin with that report
Drought sparks conflict in Turkana
www.ntv.co.ke The effects of drought continue to ravage the country, children in Turkana are especially bearing the brunt of the food crisis. Dozens of children suffering from malnutrition have been admitted at Lodwar district hospital. The drought and food crisis in the region is so severe that it is sparking confrontations among nomadic herders.
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