The National Government provided a total of Kshs. 1,351,196,000 for a response during the period of February, March and April 2019.
Food and safety net received Kshs. 601,196,000; Support to household irrigation water storage program (excavation of small water pans) has got Kshs. 600,000,000; Support to water trucking, maintenance, and rehabilitation of boreholes received Kshs. 150,000,000.
A sharp rise in food and fuel prices points to deeper pain for Kenyan households, especially low-income ones, whose already overstretched budgets are being juggled for survival.
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on Sunday announced new prices for petrol, diesel, and kerosene, which rose to hit Sh106.60, 102.13 and Sh102.22 respectively.
The cost of basic food items — including maize flour, milk, potatoes and tomatoes — has been rising as traders report shortages, partly due to the prolonged drought.
The government’s regulated fuel prices have also increased for the second successive month, adding to the inflationary pressure facing the economy.
Millers have attributed the rise to shortage of maize in the market. A 90-kilogram bag of maize was retailing at a high of Sh3,200 last week from Sh2,000 earlier, with processors anticipating that prices would continue to rise.
According to the KNBS, the cost of food in Kenya increased 2.84 percent last month from 1.09 percent a month earlier, reflecting the sharp rise in the cost of food items.