4.35 Million Kenyans Will Face Food Insecurity By October 2022

According to the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), the number of people suffering from food insecurity in Kenya is expected to reach 4.35 million by October 2022, up from the current 4.1 million, amid worsening drought in many parts of the country, a state agency said.

The report indicates that 23 counties in the arid and semi-arid regions are grappling with a severe dry spell that has worsened water stress, hunger, and malnutrition.

The current situation is attributed to the fourth consecutive failed rainy season alongside the short-term impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, desert locust infestation, and the long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to NDMA.

The report states that by the end of August 2022, 95 percent of arid and semi-arid lands will be severely dry, exposing herders and subsistence farmers to ravages of hunger and malnutrition.

The food insecurity situation in some counties has been compounded by sporadic cases of conflicts, particularly in Baringo county, Lamu County, and Marsabit County where conflict and an ongoing security operation have disrupted community livelihoods.

Other counties where conflicts have been reported include Meru and Isiolo counties. The conflicts have resulted in the displacement of communities as well as the loss of lives and livelihoods. Disruption of markets has also been noted further limiting communities’ access to income and food.

As a result of the low total income, households are unable to meet their basic food requirements and so are expected to exhibit borderline or worse food consumption, as measured by food consumption scores.

Household food access is expected to remain constrained as staple food prices remain above average and livestock to maize terms of trade remain below average. Critical malnutrition outcomes will persist in children under five years of age.

According to NDMA, 884,464 children aged six to 59 months are acutely malnourished while 115,725 pregnant or lactating mothers have also suffered from an acute form of malnutrition in the arid counties.

Declining milk production and a spike in the cost of cereals have also worsened the hunger crisis in the semi-arid region and the projected insufficient October-December short rains might not offer a respite.

Households are also likely to increase consumption-based coping strategies like reducing the number of daily meals, eating less preferred foods, limiting adult intake for children to eat, borrowing food from friends and relatives, and sale of more livestock than normal.

To mitigate against the severe impacts of drought in the arid outposts, the government has embarked on livestock offtake, water tracking, provision of livestock feeds, supplementary diet to families, and cash transfer.

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