Turkana county will divert part of money set aside for development to feed more than 700,000 people facing starvation.
Governor Josphat Nanok said the county has resolved to increase the amount relief food being distribution to reach more people.
The county is currently feeding 400,000 people.
“The famine in our county is still severe and many families need food,” Nanok said when he flagged off food distribution yesterday.
He said they have bought 50,000 bags of maize, 15,000 bags of beans and 15,000 jerricans of 20-litre cooking oil to be distributed across the county.
The county is also supplying water using trucks.
Nanok said the first batch of relief food will be taken to Kokuro, Nanam, Kapedo, Kalapata and Kerio, where the drought has worsened.
The county assembly plans to pass a supplementary budget to counter famine. Rains have failed in the county for more than a year, causing many livestock deaths.
“We need assistance from our friends and development partners because the situation is critical,” Nanok said.
It is estimated that the county requires Sh1 billion to feed starving families.
Neighbouring counties, including West Pokot, Baringo and Samburu, have also hard-hit by famine.
Nanok said most development projects have stalled ibecause many families have migrated in search of water and pasture.
Some of the families have crossed into Uganda. The IEBC said famine and insecurity have adversely affected mass voter registration in parts of Baringo, Pokot, Turkana and Samburu.
IEBC commissioner Paul Kurgat says hundreds of families had been displaced from their homes in the region and could not be accessed by IEBC staff deployed in the region.
“Most of those our staff managed to get did not have nationals IDs and so the registration has been very low in the affected counties”, said Dr Kurgat.