At least 4.35 million Kenyans have been severely hit by the ongoing drought and are in dire need of food.
According to Cabinet Secretary for East Africa Community, Arid and Semi-Arid, Lands and Regional Development Rebecca Miano has said that 22 counties out of 23 ASAL counties have been severely hit by the drought.
“This is the worst drought in four decades and there is a need to scale up the mitigation measures put in place,” Miano told journalists during a press conference in her office on Wednesday, January 11.
She noted that nine counties including Kilifi, Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana, Isiolo, Wajir, Samburu, Kitui and Kajiado are the worst hit.
“The delayed and poor rainfall distribution have occasioned to the nine counties being mapped in the alert drought phase,” she added.
The Cabinet Secretary added that Garissa, Lamu, Narok, Tana River, Makueni, Laikipia, and Tharaka Nithi counties were in high alert of the drought situation while Baringo and West Pokot have slid from alert to warning situation.
The government has also revealed that 2.5 million wildlife have also been affected due to the pasture and livestock shortage in Kajiado and Kwale counties.
In response to the drought situation in the country, President William Ruto has put in place various drought mitigation measures that include distribution of relief food and money donation to the affected families.
“The mitigation by the government has not failed as we have already spent Sh1 billion between December and January 2023 on buying livestock from the affected areas. We have also involved various partners in scaling up drought interventions,” Miano noted.