Germany's state-run aid agency GTZ said Friday it had decided to stop emergency relief operations in Kenya's southern district of Mwingi after local politicians criticized the effort.
The German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ), which has been distributing food to drought-affected people in the district, said it will pull out of the area with effect from Sunday.
"Local politicians had repeatedly raised objections against the way the operations were implemented in Mwingi district," GTZ said in a statement issued by the German embassy here.
Politicians, including the local member of Parliament, who is also a cabinet minister, objected to the fact that GTZ was giving food to 130 local relief committees, which in turn distributed the food to the most needy people in the district.
"These politicians pretend that they can do targeting in a fairer way than members of 130 local committees elected by their own communities. Common sense and previous experiences with relief operations clearly show otherwise," the statement added.
It said public utterances by the politicians had created an atmosphere of "fear and intimidation" among those implementing the project -- NAIROBI (AFP)
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