afrol News, 16 January - Kenyan president, Mwai Kibaki, has appealed for US$ 400 million to tackle the emergency food aid for almost 10 million Kenyan's facing food shortages mainly due to crop failure.

Last week, president Kibaki announced that more 10 million Kenyans were in urgent need of food, urging his cabinet to urgently start working out strategies and mapping a national emergency plan.

"My government has with effect from today, declared the famine situation in the country and a national disaster," Mr Kibaki said in Nairobi.

Kenya, sub-Saharan Africa's fifth-largest corn producer, says it has sufficient corn only to last until February, after poor rainfall and post-election violence in the first two months of last year cut plantings.

Mr Kibaki said the government has already set aside $63.4 million, but the country needs a total of $469.5 million for its emergency needs until August.

Mr Kibaki announced measures aimed at countering the effects of looming food shortages in several parts of the country affected by severe drought.

"In order to deal with the food security crisis, my government has so far made arrangements to import seven million bags of maize," he said, indicating that the maize will be sold in the market to lower and stabilise food prices for the majority of Kenyans.

In December, president Kibaki cautioned against corrupt traders manipulating supply chain of basic food stuffs, assuring Kenyans that food stuffs would be availed at reasonable prices.

Kenya, the East Africa's biggest economy is still recovering from the post 2007 election violence which left over a thousand people dead, while the country was one of the first to be hit by riots as a result of hikes in food prices last year.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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