The Ministry of EAC, ASALS and regional development is conducting a multi-agency assessment of the 2022 short rains season to ascertain its impact on food security.
The assessment which is being coordinated through the National Drought Management Authority is expected to inform the scale of interventions the government will take to mitigate the drought in the country.
The EAC CS Rebecca Miano on Wednesday said the delayed and poor rainfall distribution as well as the fall armyworm infestation have affected crop production in the food-producing areas worsening the already fragile food security situation in the country.
“I assure fellow Kenyans that the government is committed to building resilience in order to ensure that our state of preparedness moving forward is taken care of and no life will be lost to hunger forthwith,” Miano said.
The CS noted that the government has mapped the affected counties, subcounties and wards noting that this will improve targeted response.
“The priority interventions are informed by the findings gathered by county steering groups which are chaired by are governors,” the CS said.
Currently, the government has undertaken a raft of drought mitigation and response measures geared towards cushioning the most vulnerable in the affected counties.
This includes the distribution of relief food, cash transfers, screening and treatment for malnutrition, water trucking of livestock feeds and livestock off-take.
According to the CS, at least 4.35 million Kenyans are in dire need of relief food as the drought continues to bite while 960,000 children are severely malnourished.
Miano said the drought situation remains critical in 22 of the 23 Asal counties due to poor rains through October to December when the short rains season usually appears.
"On the contrary, the period during which short rains are expected ended up posting poor rainfall right across the mist of the ASALs. This marked the fifth consecutive failed rain season," Miano said.
Nine counties have been mapped by the government as being in the alarm drought phase. They include Kilifi, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, Turkana, Wajir, Isiolo and Kajiado.
