The food security situation in Kenya has dropped from 4.4 million to 2.8 million.
Speaking to the press in Narok at the Ewaso Nyiro South Development Authority (ENSDA) headquarters, The Cabinet Secretary in charge of The Ministry of East Africa Community, Arid, and Semi-arid Lands (ASALS) and Regional Development, Rebecca Miano, released the report on the findings of an assessment conducted in 2023 in arid and semi-arid (ASAL) counties.
The CS reported that the population facing acute food insecurity has dropped from 4.4 million in February to 2.8 million to date which is a projection she termed positive.
The huge improvement was attributed to the good performance of the March to May 2023 long rains, which saw most parts of the country receive above-average rainfall, leading to improved production and productivity.
The CS explained that in the ASAL counties, expectant mothers and children below the age of five have been the most affected.
Turkana County remains a hotspot, with an ‘Extremely Critical’ situation mostly in Turkana South. However, gradual improvement of the nutrition situation is expected due to improving the food security situation in the country.
The assessment has identified priority response interventions for scale-up in various sectors from August 2023 to January 2024 at an estimated cost of Ksh. 33.29 billion.
Food security can be defined as a situation whereby all people have adequate and sufficient access to nutritious food, that meets dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
The government over the years has made strides in achieving food security but it has been faced with mixed success.
Globally, our planet is producing and consuming record amounts of food, and yet, 700 million people still go hungry. Food technologies have advanced but we are still grappling with unsustainable high greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture sector and from food wastage. Post-harvest loss, in particular, is a massive challenge in Kenya and elsewhere. Other disruptions in the food system include shocks to climate change, inequalities that limit people’s access to the food they need, and storage problems.
In the 2022 Global Hunger Index, Kenya ranks 94th out of 121 countries with sufficient data to calculate the 2022 GHI scores. With a score of 23.5, Kenya has a level of hunger that is serious. This can be attributed to being heavily reliant on rain-fed systems, which are vulnerable to drought and floods. This has led to frequent crop failures, which in turn contribute to food shortages.
By GBS Reporter: Susan Wambui