The government's efforts in dealing with the effects of drought received a shot in the arm from the Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Wednesday, January 25.
This is after the church made a food donation worth Ksh124 million (USD1 million) to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in support of the program.
Gachagua received the donation at his office in Harambee House, Annex, where the leaders of the church had paid him a courtesy call.
"This donation will benefit 40,000 households, an equivalent of 200,000 people," Gachagua announced in a statement.
The deputy president further appreciated the efforts of partners in helping the government combat drought.
“We appreciate our friends and partners for their continued support towards Kenyans affected by the drought situation, especially in ASAL counties,” a statement from his office read in part.
The Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ.
The church is headquartered in the United States in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has established congregations and built temples worldwide.
LDS missionaries began serving in Kenya in 1980. There was only one LDS missionary couple from then until 1989 when the couple was withdrawn.
Joseph W. Sitati, who joined the LDS Church along with his family in 1985, was designated the lead elder of the church in Kenya at that point.
The donation comes in the backdrop of the country grappling with the ravaging drought that saw humans and livestock lose their lives in numbers, especially in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) counties.
This led to President William Ruto setting up a drought mitigation team and plan to salvage the situation in November 2022. The team will be reporting to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Ruto further announced the government's allocation of Ksh2 billion for food relief to counties affected by the severe drought.
