Over 168,000 people are facing imminent hunger following a dire dry spell which has led to total crop failure and food shortage in Kitui, according to the County Commissioner Boaz Cherutich.
Mr Cherutich on Friday said the drought situation is likely to escalate over time and that the number of affected residents was bound to rise to 200,000 by March.
“The situation is getting worse by the day and there is no hope of things getting better unless the rains return. In the last quarter, rains were very low and erratic leading to serious crop failure and lack of pasture livestock,” he noted.
However, the Commissioner said the national government was working with the county government to mitigate the drought so as to ensure that no lives are lost due to starvation.
Cherutich said the State had released thousands of bags of relief food including maize, beans, rice and cooking oil to be distributed to the affected residents in the near future.
The officer as well said water trucks have been secured to distribute water to residents inhabiting the worst-hit parts of the county including Kitui East, Kitui South, Mwingi Central and Mwingi North.
Echoing Mr Cherutich, Kitui National Drought Management Authority coordinator Francis Koma said the December rains were very little, leading to a great decline in food and livestock production as well as water supply.
“Most water sources did not recharge adequately as a result of the low rainfall. Crops have also dried up prematurely. This has seen limited water points across the county strained as people and livestock compete for water,” he said.
Mr Koma urged the residents to sell off their extra livestock before they emaciate as the drought escalates and use the money to buy food so as to ease the looming food crisis.
In addition, Mr Cherutich said security has been beefed up along the Tana River-Kitui border in anticipation of possible outbreak of pasture-related conflicts as Somali herders drive their camels into Kitui in search of pasture.