Hunger looms in Kitui as drought tightens grip on ASAL counties

Kitui Agriculture and Livestock CECM Mbaya Kimwele scans a cow's muzzle for identification and registration for vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease at Nuu in Mwingi Central, Kitui County, on February 2, 2026. [Philip Muasya, Standard

More counties across the country continue to face the threat of hunger as the impact of prolonged drought deepens.

In Kitui County, more than one million residents are facing food insecurity, according to county officials. The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture and Livestock Mbaya Kimwele said that out of a population of over 1.2 million people, only about 28,000 households currently have food reserves, painting a grim picture of a worsening humanitarian situation.