|
Kenya
Dog Food Controversy
"Woman denies offering dog food
to Kenyans "
Story by SAMUEL SIRINGI
Publication Date: 2/4/2006
The controversial dog food gift
to starving Kenyan children will
not be sent after all, its
producer said yesterday.
Ms Christine Drummond, whose
offer had stirred controversy in
Kenya, termed as incorrect
reports that she planned to send
the food to starving children in
Nyanza Province.
Instead, she clarified that she
had offered to send protein
supplements – not dog food – to
an orphanage in Rusinga Island.
Reports of the dog food, had
embarrassed New Zealand and
offended Kenya, she said in a
story published by New Zealand's
Marlborough Express Newspaper.
"But it's an ill wind that blows
no good and the flurry of
publicity following that
confusion has opened up a huge
export opportunity for Ms
Drummond," she said.
The recent reports, which said
she planned to send dog food to
starving children in Africa,
have induced a barrage of
criticism.
Cabinet minister John Munyes
termed the offer "an insult."
"It is an insult for somebody to
think Kenya can accept food
meant for animals," said Mr
Munyes, who is in charge of
relief operations in the Office
of the President.
Ms Drummond, the founder of a
firm that makes Mighty Mix dog
biscuits, wants to send food to
hungry children on Rusinga
Island in Lake Victoria
Her gesture was prompted by
reports that the children were
starving after the daughter of
her friend, Mrs. Lois McGirr of
North Canterbury, New Zealand,
returned from a recent visit to
Kenya.
But Ms Drummond denied the bogus
food offer, adding the
supplement she had sent to Kenya
as a sample was made from edible
protein ingredients.
She said the dog food product
was only allowed to be sold
under licences of companies
around New Zealand, and she
could not legally send it to
starving children.
Instead, she said, she was
developing a "human relief food"
called NZ's Raw Dry Nourish,
produced by a second and
separate company Mighty Mix
Wholesale Limited, for human
consumption.
She has already sent money to
the Lake Victoria orphanage for
the 42 tons of maize needed for
an Orphan Outreach Day next
Friday, "where orphans in the
Lake Victoria area –"the size of
mid-Canterbury–are invited for a
meal". "There are 300,000
orphans in that small area," she
said.
The Kenya National Commission on
Human Rights and children's
rights organisations urged
Kenyans to give up one square
meal and donate it to those
starving.
Use Google and Search the
internet, it is ALL over!
And read our website, we will
post the truth on the front of
the site in a few minutes....
Please donate to our children at
Mercy Village here:
Donate Here
|
