Severe drought turns farmlands in Kenya barren

STORY: Severe drought turns farmlands in Kenya barren DATELINE: Oct. 7, 2022 LENGTH: 0:02:40 LOCATION: Nairobi CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of farms 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Swahili): JOSHUA KOBIA, Local farmer 3. various of a homestead 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Swahili): EUNICE KANJARIA, Local resident 5. various of trucks carrying relief supplies STORYLINE: Kenya is among the Horn of African countries grappling with a prolonged dry spell that has escalated hunger, malnutrition and loss of livelihoods among subsistence farmers and herders. At least 36.1 million people in the Horn of Africa will be affected by severe drought in October, the United Nations has warned. The situation is so dire in Meru County, 300 km east of the capital Nairobi. The region was known for its lush green landscape. But the once-agricultural area has been hard hit by drought due to the lack of rainfall for three consecutive seasons. The lush countryside has been turned into barren land. SOUNDBITE 1 (Swahili): JOSHUA KOBIA, Local farmer

Kenya launches care reform strategy to boost children's rights

STORY: Kenya launches care reform strategy to boost children's rights DATELINE: June 10, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:09 LOCATION: Nairobi CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the attendants singing the national anthem 2. various of Margaret Kobia, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs with a religious leader and an official from UNICEF 3. various of officials 4. various of children in attendance 5. various of the meeting STORYLINE: Kenya on Wednesday launched a care reform strategy to boost the rights of children, a senior government official said. Margaret Kobia, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs, and Special Programmes said that the strategy was developed with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and provides a roadmap to prevent the separation of children from their parents through family strengthening programs. "The focus of the strategy is to accelerate the transition of children