Drought in Kenya: In numbers

The Kenya Meteorological Department has forecast that rains will begin in different parts of the country from mid-March, with expected rainfall likely to be slightly above the long-term average amounts for the long rains season, which falls in March, April and May.

While this may come as good news to farmers, the Director of the Climate Predictions and Applications Centre at the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Dr Guleid Artan, ICPAC, said in a news release that the long rains do not mean immediate recovery from drought, seeing as the last three seasons have recorded below average rainfall.

This implies that recovery from drought will take a few more months and the effects of the prolonged drought will continue to be felt, even after the rains begin.

 

 

Kenyan drought facts and figures:

 

September 2021 - Government declares drought a national disaster

 

2 - number of rainy seasons

3 - number of consecutive rainy seasons that have failed

23 - arid and semi-arid (ASAL) counties

12 counties - most affected by drought: Marsabit, Turkana, Samburu, Baringo, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Isiolo, Tana River, parts of Kitui, Meru and Laikipia

 

 

2.8 million - number of people in food crisis in December 2021

3.1 million -  people in need food assistance in February 2022

730,000 - number of women of reproductive age facing drought crisis

Photo by Ian Macharia on Unsplash

656,000 - children aged between 6-59 months acutely malnourished and in need of treatment in February 2022

100,000 - pregnant and lactating mothers acutely malnourished in February 2022

 

1.4 million - livestock that have died after the failure of 3 rain seasons

58 to 85kg - amount of maize sale whose sale could buy one goat in Turkana in January 2022

 

Sh2 billion - amount allocated by government for relief food distribution, water and livestock offtake

 

 

Sources: National Drought Management Authority; Economic Survey 2021; Farming Early Warning System (FEWS), ICPAC Compiled by: Felista Wangari

 

This feature is supported by a grant from WAN-IFRA’s Women in News Social Impact Reporting Initiative on Climate Change