The government has begun distributing relief food in some parts of the country even as at least one million Kenyans face starvation, and death.
The situation has been blamed on the ongoing drought and the government says the crisis could get out of hand if the long rains fail to start in the next two weeks.
At least 12 counties, mostly pastoral, have been hit by the prolonged dry spell, making it hard for locals to find water and food for themselves as well as their livestock.
The affected counties include Baringo, Turkana Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir, Kilifi, Marsabit, Tana River Samburu, Mandera, Kitui and, Makueni.
Baringo and Turkana are the most affected counties with some locals reported to be eating wild fruits and leaves to survive.
Citizen Digital reports that nine people have been reported to have lost their lives in Baringo County from biting hunger.
On Friday, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa flagged off over 600 tonnes of relief food in Turkana County where more than 200,000 residents are facing starvation.
“We will be going to all these areas to see what we can do. County had started food distribution but it is a vast county of 70,000km,” says CS Wamalwa.
Wamalwa says there is enough food in the government strategic food reserve.
“We had a bumper harvest…it is not that we have food shortage but that drought is biting. And we must come to ensure no Kenyan loses their life,” adds Wamalwa.
Less than one year ago, most of the drought-stricken counties were hit by flooding, but the water ended up in the ocean.
“What we are doing is to make sure that no Kenyan dies because of lack of food or scarcity of water. That is our first action, which is to save lives,” CS Wamalwa says.