The government has started distributing food after several people have reportedly died of hunger-related complications in Tiaty, Baringo County, while thousands of others face starvation as the ongoing drought takes its toll.
In the villages are frail faces of children, the elderly and expectant mothers who are hardest hit by the calamity.
In Turkana, which is the most affected according to Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, the situation is just as bad. A locust infestation has worsened the situation, almost depleting the entire vegetation in the county.
Four people have died in Kamusuk, Kositei and Seretion according to Kositei sub-location chief Jack Ronei.
Affected families are now surviving on a wild fruit locally known as sorich, which has to be boiled for many hours to clear poison and make it edible.
women are forced to travel for long distances to get the berries, which are then boiled for the whole day.
“The wild fruit is boiled along the river because it needs a lot of water to drain the poison. People are sensitive to the berries and most of them, especially young children and the elderly, have suffered from diarrhoea and vomiting, but they have no option because there is no other food available,” said Mr Nakule.
Livestock prices at local markets have dropped drastically as the animals have become emaciated due to lack of pasture. A goat, which used to sell at Sh3,000, is now going for Sh500.
“Most of our livestock died in the past years due to drought. The few remaining have become emaciated and cannot fetch good market prices,” said Mr Nakule.
At Kamusuk village, the Sunday Nation found 70-year-old Lochoria Karani sleeping under a tree, pondering his next move. In this village are frail faces of children, the elderly and expectant mothers who are hardest hit by the calamity. The old man had not eaten for three days and was suffering bouts of diarrhoea after consuming wild fruit.
“I have no money to go to hospital. The government had enrolled us to the cash transfer programme, but the last time we received the money was six months ago,” said the frail man, a father of 11.
Chepokirop Siwamuk, a mother of four, is cuddling her three-month-old baby. She has been forced to boil some strong tea for him as her breasts cannot produce any milk.
“I can survive on wild fruit but I cannot give the bitter berries to the young one. He keeps crying as my breasts have no milk. We sometimes go for four days without eating anything,” said a visibly weak Siwamuk.
Also staring at starvation is 80-year-old Chemarmirich Komolingiro who said she had not eaten anything for days. She is very weak and can barely walk.