On Tuesday, an international initiative reported that over 5.4 million people in Kenya are expected to experience acute food insecurity from March, with nearly 1 million children likely to suffer from malnutrition due to the worst drought in decades in East Africa. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis predicted that the number of Kenyans facing high levels of food insecurity would increase from the current figure of 4.4 million, which represents a 43% rise compared to last year.
Kenya’s President, William Ruto, recently led a national prayer day for rain and promised to introduce policies that would ensure the country’s citizens have access to sufficient food. Although rain is expected in March, the Kenya Meteorological Department forecasted a delayed start of the rainy season in the northern, mostly arid and semi-arid parts of the country. With six failed rainy seasons in the region, some areas have had less rainfall than usual, while others have had none.
