The First Lady of the United States of America (FLOTUS) Jill Biden urged more Western Countries to join in efforts to alleviate the effects of the drought facing parts of Kenya.
Speaking after having a close-up experience with victims of the ongoing hunger in Kajiado County Sunday, February 26, the first lady described the drought as a humanitarian crisis warranting efforts similar to those taken in addressing the Russian-Ukraine war.
She noted that the intensity of the drought facing Kenya matched the threats posed by the war in Ukraine, hence necessitating the attention given to major humanitarian crises.
According to her, the US had been at the forefront of shouldering the entire burden by contributing over 70 per cent of relief funds to the region.
“We need to have other countries join us in this global effort to help these people of the region,” she stated.
“I mean, there are a lot of competing interests but, obviously here, people are actually, livestock, people are starving."
While recounting her experience after interacting with residents of Kajiado, Biden observed that it was imperative for the international community to conceive ways of protecting their livestock which was the basic economic activity in the region.
“So they are coming here, the people are coming to get water, bringing their livestock to get water, unfortunately, the livestock are dying, so they’re having a hard time,” she stated.
Biden was accompanied by Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano and United States Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman on her last day in the three-day visit to Kenya.
She later met President William Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua in Nairobi shortly before jetting out on her journey back to the US.
In a statement shared on Sunday, February 26, President Ruto expressed his gratitude for the visit- noting that it was a gesture of robust relations between Kenya and Washington.
