Approximately 3.3 million Kenyans across 23 Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) counties are facing food insecurity, the Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations has been told.
Appearing before the Committee, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), alongside the Kenya Meteorological Department warned that the number is projected to rise to about 3.68 million by June 2026 a sharp escalation within four months.
In a submission presented by its Chairperson, Mr Shallow Abdullahi Yahya, the NDMA listed Mandera, Turkana, Marsabit, Wajir, Isiolo, Garissa, Tana River, Samburu and Kwale as the worst affected counties, where many households are unable to meet basic food needs without external assistance.
A further 14 counties are experiencing food stress. In these areas, households are meeting minimum food requirements only by cutting expenditure on other essential needs, selling assets or resorting to negative coping mechanisms.
On nutrition, the Authority called for the timely scale up of interventions, revealing that 810,871 children aged between six and 59 months, as well as 116,796 pregnant and lactating women are acutely malnourished and in urgent need of treatment and nutritional support.
The NDMA informed Senators that the Government has reinforced drought coordination mechanisms at both national and county levels to ensure a structured, accountable and multi-sectoral response. It noted that Ksh 233.5 million has been spent or committed towards interventions including water trucking, fuel subsidies, repair of strategic facilities, provision of water tanks and livestock feed.
The Meteorological Department, through Acting Director Mr Edward Muriuki recommended accelerated destocking, borehole support, expanded emergency food assistance and enhanced hyper local early warning systems.
Long term measures proposed include increasing automatic weather stations in ASAL counties, strengthening inter agency coordination to prevent drought related conflicts and community sensitisation on the use of forecasts.
The Department also appealed for support to establish a radar network for nowcasting severe weather events and urged Senators to back the Meteorological Bill.
Committee Chairperson Sen. Fatuma Dullo (Isiolo), Vice-Chairperson Sen. Prof Tom Ojienda SC (Kisumu), Sen. Julius Murgor (West Pokot) and Sen. Dr Lelegwe Ltumbesi (Samburu) called for timely data submission and pledged their support.
By Anthony Solly
