Kenya’s President Kibaki Declares Drought a National Disaster

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki declared a drought affecting various parts of the East African country a national disaster and ordered immediate steps be taken to help affected people and livestock.

The Treasury was ordered to facilitate “urgent” imports of corn to boost the country’s strategic grain reserves, while 1.6 billion shillings ($18.6 million) was allocated to the water and irrigation and livestock ministries, Kibaki said in an e-mailed statement today from Nairobi, the capital.