El Nino: Agriculture sector records losses worth Ksh16B
The Agriculture sector has recorded losses worth Ksh16.26 billion due to the El Nino rains, the government has revealed.
According to the National El Nino Emergency and Disaster Response Command Centre, this entails 6,706 animals lost, mainly goats and sheep and crop devastation affecting around 84,568 acres.
In a statement on Friday, January 5, 2024, the command centre said the worst affected counties include Lamu, Tana River, Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Homabay, and Kitui.
To assist the affected counties, the government through the State Department of Special Programmes has distributed over 4,604.6 metric tonnes of food items, including rice, beans, fortified flour and corned beef.
"The Hunger Safety Net Programme and organisations such as the World Food Programme, Plan International, World Vision, and Arid Lands Development Focus Kenya have been instrumental in implementing cash transfer programs, benefiting 9,858 affected households," the statement read in part.
El Nino deaths
At least 174 people have died as a result of the El Nino rains, including 133 adults and 41 children.
The number of displaced households has been reduced to 15,208 across 79 camps, from the initial 170 camps hosting 109,179 displaced households.
Even as the schools' opening dates draw nearer, the government revealed that at least 7,878 learning institutions have been affected by the El Nino rains so far.
The Kenya Meteorological Department has predicted a relatively dry January, save for areas like the Lake Victoria basin, Southern Rift Valley, South-Eastern lowlands, Highlands East of the Rift Valley, and South Coast region which will experience wet weather.
"As we transition from the El Niño rains, the Kenya Meteorological Department has released an extended forecast indicating predominantly sunny and dry conditions across most of the Country until at least the end of January 2024," the statement added.
