1.4 million Kenyans face starvation as state battles COVID-19 and drought
The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the drought currently being witnessed in various parts of the country are likely to cause hunger among millions of Kenyans, the government has warned. Mr. Cyrus Oguna, the government spokesperson on Thursday intimated that approximately 1.4 million Kenyans risk starvation, a number that is likely to rise in the coming days if nothing is done. This situation is especially dire in arid and semi-arid areas where food subsidies seldom reach the people.
Protus Murunga 
1.4 million Kenyans face starvation as state battles COVID-19 and drought
The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the drought currently being witnessed in various parts of the country are likely to cause hunger among millions of Kenyans, the government has warned. Mr. Cyrus Oguna, the government spokesperson on Thursday intimated that approximately 1.4 million Kenyans risk starvation, a number that is likely to rise in the coming days if nothing is done. This situation is especially dire in arid and semi-arid areas where food subsidies seldom reach the people.
The government has begun measures to counter the situation in Turkana, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, and Isiolo counties which include cash transfers, food dissemination, and giving out drought-resistant crops as well as fertilizers.
Mr. Oguna said, “we are also appealing to our development partners like Unicef, World Bank, and many others that this is the time to step in and provide aid. We are also in partnership with county governments of the affected areas to offer solutions to families.”
The measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 which include the restriction on movement have significantly contributed to the poor economic position facing the country. He further said that the government has distributed approximately a total of Sh2 billion for upkeep.
Data from the government showed that the Kenyan economy had initially been projected to grow by 6.2 percent but had risen by 0.6 percent and lost close to Sh560 billion ($5.6 billion) of GDP due to the COVID-19 preventive measures. On the other hand, droughts have been a common occurrence in the country affecting even the nation’s food basket in the Rift Valley.
Mr. Oguna noted that farmers had been advised to take advantage of the government subsidy on fertilizers and drought-resistant crops to counter the drought. He also warned those living in flood-prone areas like Nyando in Kisumu County and Tana River counties to be watchful of floods due to the anticipated rains.
