Hunger crisis:"When will Kenyans learn?"

Written By:Dennis Koech,    Posted: Fri, Aug 05, 2011

Former Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph said Kenyans have to learn to diversify and adopt cost effective methods of farming and shun traditions that are counterproductive

As corporate citizens dug deeper into their pockets to donate to starving Kenyans, it emerged the country cannot afford to continue reacting desperately whenever faced with a drought crisis.

In what now heralds a complete shift from disaster mitigation measures, top corporate C.E.Os announced a broad based strategy to reclaim the arid North to transform it not just into a bread basket but also an economic hub anchored within vision 2030.

Kenyans for Kenya, a patriotic initiative to lend a helping hand to starving fellow Kenyans, seems to have been a desperate measure sparked by a desperate crisis begging the question, when will we ever learn?

According to Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi the answer lies in opening up Northern Kenya corridor, through infrastructural and irrigation projects to transform the region into a vibrant social and economic hub.

Corporate executives agree poor planning and failure to allocate adequate resources to marginalized areas is to blame for a series of crisis that afflict residents.

Kenyans will also have to learn to diversify and adopt cost effective methods of farming and shun traditions that are counterproductive.

Easier said than done, but if a drought catastrophe of the current magnitude is to be avoided and if the country is to become food secure, tough choices will have to be made.