Drought in Kenya May Continue For One More Year – Commitee
Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) Rangers drive past a carcass of a wildebeest on November 30, 2022 at the Amboseli National Park.
Other nations in the Horn of Africa are also facing severe droughts, which undermine the normal functioning of the agricultural sector, threatening food security and reducing the production of key export products.Kenya’s drought could continue for one more year, the National Steering Committee on Drought Response led by businessman Peter Ndegwa has estimated. He noted that some 4.2 million Kenyans are facing hunger and would depend on food aid.
"We understand that the next rainy season is not looking good, so it is likely the number of those who rely on relief food will increase despite the short rains. We believe that this issue will persist for at least the next 12 months," said the committee’s chairman, as cited by local media.
According to Ndegwa, his committee is working on middle and long-term measures to enhance crop and livestock production in order to end relief food dependence and improve livelihoods.”More than 2.5 million heads of livestock have been affected, so livelihoods have been affected and it will take the affected people a long time to recover from the effects of drought,” Ndegwa said.Julius Taitumu, the MP from Igembe North, said that the committee should give special consideration to the region he represents as drought-caused problems are especially acute there. According to Taitumu, many local residents have had no harvest for four years and are facing famine.The committee’s leader appealed for more donations for the body. According to Ndegwa, it has so far received $4.86 million in funding, which is insufficient to solve the problem of hunger. Peter Ndegwa is the CEO of Safaricom PLC, the largest telecom company in the East African Community.
