By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 28 January 2026 - President William Ruto’s administration has moved to cushion thousands of residents in the flood-prone Lower Nyando River Basin from acute food insecurity, dispatching lorryloads of assorted foodstuffs worth millions of shillings after floods and Quelea bird invasions devastated rice and maize farms in Kano Plains.
The relief intervention follows appeals by area MP Jared Okello and Principal Secretary for Gender and Children Affairs Caroline Agengo, who warned that the dual shock of floods and crop destruction had wiped out the main staples, exposing households to hunger and eroding livelihoods in one of Kisumu County’s most vulnerable zones.
The food aid, delivered on the President’s directive, was distributed to vulnerable households and schools across Nyando, underscoring a rapid-response approach that blends humanitarian relief with social protection. During an exercise at Lela, Cabinet Secretary for Gender Hannah Cheptumo oversaw the offloading of 723 bags of maize, 330 bags of beans, 56 bags of green grams and 153 jerricans of cooking fat, alongside hundreds of mattresses and blankets.
Kadibo and Ranjira received nearly equal allocations.
Beyond emergency relief, the national government outlined a broader investment package aimed at flood mitigation, economic recovery and service delivery.
Cheptumo announced the allocation of KSh200 million for flood control works in West Kano’s Kanyagwal area, a long-standing hotspot for seasonal flooding that repeatedly disrupts farming and settlement. She also revealed plans to establish a KSh 25 million ICT hub in Ahero Sub-county, positioning digital skills and connectivity as part of the area’s development pathway.
Infrastructure and livelihoods featured prominently in the government’s messaging. The administration has committed Sh1.5 billion for the Mamboleo–Miwani–Chemelil road to improve mobility and trade, and Sh1.3 billion for the Kabonyo Fisheries Development Project to unlock value in the blue economy and diversify incomes in Kisumu County.
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The relief exercise was framed as a response to the recent Quelea bird invasion that destroyed vast rice plantations, compounding flood losses and threatening thousands of small-scale farmers. Okello said the swift presidential response reflected urgency after farmers raised alarm over the scale of destruction and looming hunger.
Education was also integrated into the relief matrix. Food supplies directed to schools are expected to stabilise learning by strengthening the School Feeding Programme in flood-affected zones where families are struggling to recover. In a complementary boost, the Children Welfare Society of Kenya donated 3,400 books to Lela and Ranjira comprehensive and secondary schools, easing learning material gaps.
On agriculture, Lake Basin Development Authority Managing Director Wycliffe Ochiaga said the state is keen on revamping rice farming to enhance food security and farmer incomes.
He cited the recent installation of a new rice milling plant in Ahero as part of efforts to improve value addition and reduce post-harvest losses.
The visit also spotlighted education financing pressures. Okello warned schools against imposing illegal levies, insisting that day scholars in Nyando should only pay KSh 1,000 per term, or KSh 3,000 annually, not the KSh 13,500 reportedly charged by some institutions.
Cheptumo, Agengo and Okello urged residents to support the President’s leadership, arguing that the combination of emergency relief, flood mitigation, infrastructure investment and social services signalled sustained government commitment to addressing food insecurity and closing development gaps in the Lower Nyando River Basin.
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