This archive report was first published on 21 September 2019.
Published on September 21, 2019, the government has estimated that over 2.6 million Kenyans are facing starvation due to the ongoing drought that has affected more than half of the country.
At least 24 out of the 47 counties have been affected, with some in urgent need of food and water provision. The drought has also led to a significant number of children below the age of five facing serious cases of malnutrition.
Even as the long rains were reported to have been deficient earlier this year, the dry spell is getting worse across the country. The dry weather has robbed livestock of pasture, leaving Kenyans worse off and facing starvation.
Among those in need of food assistance are 623,000 children below the age of five, while at least 69,000 lactating or expectant women require food and nutrition aid.
Three constituencies - Turkana North, Turkana South, and Laisamis - are in critical need, with 250,000 children below five years facing acute malnutrition. Another 200,000 children are in the category of critical malnutrition in eight sub-counties located in Turkana, Baringo, Samburu, and Marsabit counties.
The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of a dire shortage of pasture for livestock, with rising prices of foodstuffs. Between April and August this year, Ksh.1.7 billion was spent to supply foodstuff and water, including 7.3 million kilograms of maize, 4.6 million bags of rice, and 4.9 million kilograms of beans.
