CAFOD Appeal East Africa Drought Response Project Diocese of Kitui The of Diocese of Kitui covers Kitui County, an approximated  area of 30,142km2 in the Eastern Province of Kenya with an approximate population of 1.09 million people. The region is classified as Arid and Semi Arid Land (ASAL) with rainfall being recorded below 600mm per annum. The larger Kitui and Mwingi districts did not receive the long rains in 2011 and the two districts are at alert stage of drought early warning cycle and the food situation is deteriorating drastically. If immediate measures are not taken, many people are at risk of suffering and dying of hunger.

The CAFOD Appeal East Africa Drought Response Project of the Catholic Diocese of Kitui will be implemented in Mutomo and Mumoni districts. The target areas have a combined population of 25,508 people (Population Census 2011). 

The goal of the drought response project is to protect the lives and livelihoods of drought affected households in Mutomo and Mumoni districts in Kitui County. In Mutomo district, the project will be implemented in Kyatune locations targeting 262 households, Ngwani Location targeting 241 households, Ndatani Location targeting 140 households, Kathungu Location targeting 371 households and Makele Location targeting 157 households. In Mumoni district, the project will be implemented in Konyu Location targeting 214 households, Kanthungu Location targeting 201 households, Gatoroni Location targeting 145 households and Mbarani Location targeting 320 households, a total target population of 2,051 households. 

The project has 4 interrelated specific objectives that include: increased food accessibility for 2,051 most poor and vulnerable households through cash transfer, increased access to water for drought vulnerable households in Mumoni, Kyatune and Ikanga areas; increased land productivity through construction of soil and water conservation structures and organic manure application in target areas and finally improved accessibility to target  communities through construction of 3 rural access roads.

The planned activities will include construction and rehabilitation of earth pans, construction of rural access roads, construction of soil and water conservation structures and training on the same. The project plans to target 2,051 households through cash transfers. The project plans to mainstream HIV and AIDS by addressing the needs of the most vulnerable groups by setting aside 20% of the cash transfer to go directly towards supporting 410 households of the people 
living or affected by HIV and AIDS, the sick, the elderly and the weak bodied who are unable to work. The remaining 80% of the cash transfer will support the cash for work initiative targeting 1,641 households. The project plans to target 1,171 household from Kyatune, Ngwani, Ndatani, Kathungu and Makele Locations in Mutomo district and 880 households from Konyu, Kanthungu, Gatoroni and Mbarani Locations in Momoni district. The total indirect beneficiaries amount to 12,306. These include the household members who will not participate in the project activities or benefit from the direct cash transfer but will use the food bought using the money paid to project beneficiaries or benefit from the work of the beneficiaries. The project will develop a beneficiary selection criteria that will ensure that the most poor and vulnerable households are selected to benefit from the project. 

This project is going to be the first phase of project and will be implemented over a period of 6 months. It will be followed by a near-term and long-term second and third phases that will be implemented over a period of 18 months. These two phases will be recovery and reconstruction