Kenya Facing Worst Drought in 38 Years

The lack of rain being witnessed during the ‘long rain’ season from March to May in Kenya, is set to be the worst in 38 years.

There are serious concerns over worsening food shortages, water scarcity and pressure on electricity providers.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has said that even if the rains come now, farmers will not be able to make any meaningful return on their farms. The agency also warned that around 541,309 children under 5 are now at risk of malnutrition with food shortages set to get worse in the coming weeks.

"We should not be talking of whether it will rain or not because even if it rains now, the planting season has already passed and we should focus on dealing with the situation at hand," said IGAD executive secretary Mahboub Maalim.

Patrick Njoroge, the Central Bank Governor, said the bank could lower its economic growth forecast for this year to 5.3 percent, from 6.3 percent, if the drought proves severe, the bank said on its Twitter account, quoting an interview he gave to Bloomberg TV in New York on Tuesday.

Blaming the recent dry weather, the World Bank has trimmed its forecast for Kenya's economic growth to 5.7 percent from 5.8 percent.

Farming, including tea, flowers and coffee exports account for close to a third of annual economic output.

The government said last month 1.1 million Kenyans, mainly in the arid counties of Turkana, Marsabit, Isiolo, Tana River and Garisssa, need humanitarian food assistance.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development, blames the failure of Kenya's long rains on tropical cyclone Idai, which redirected moisture away from the region.