National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) has enlisted Machakos County as food insecure area after the region experienced poor rainfall pattern in the successive seasons.
A Rapid Food and Nutrition Security Assessment report indicated that the county was in a food security stress following below-average rainfall during the last October. November and December period.
The Assessment was done in the nine Sub counties in Machakos in January 2026, it revealed that the poorly distributed rainfalls resulted in reduced crop production, early depletion of household food stocks, declining livestock productivity and constrained water availability while calling for urgent food interventions.
According to the NDMA Coordinator Alice Munyao, who was speaking during Machakos County Steering group (CSG) at the Governor’s office, the assessment was done to evaluate the prevailing food and nutrition security situation and recommended interventions, following the poor performance of the short rains.
She added that it also aimed to identify vulnerable populations, and inform timely early action and response interventions as it applied a multi-sectoral approach involving Agriculture, Livestock, Water, Health and Nutrition, Education, Markets, and Cross-cutting issues, in line with NDMA rapid assessment standards.
The NDMA coordinator noted that Machakos may not have been listed as one of the counties facing severe drought in Kenya but many households are consuming 1–2 meals per day and relying heavily on markets amid rising staple food prices while Crop yields for maize, beans, and cowpeas are estimated to be 40–60 per cent below the long-term average.
“Approximately 12–15 per cent of the county population is estimated to require humanitarian food assistance between January and March 2026 and the most affected areas include Yatta, Mwala, Kathiani (lower), Kangundo (lower), Matungulu (Yatta plateau), and Athi River,” said Ms Munyao
Additionally, NDMA Drought Information Officer Justus Ikaal revealed that the short rains that led to poor yields, resulted in Household food stocks being largely exhausted, forcing most farming households to rely on market purchases earlier than normal.
“If current conditions persist, food insecurity and malnutrition are likely to worsen into early 2026 due to forecast below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures we need urgent food and livelihood interventions,” said Ikaal
He reiterated that the OND 2025 rains were unusually poor such that it affected the county’s farming activities where Poor germination and repeated replanting were widespread, with total crop failure reported in all the marginal mixed farming livelihood zones. In the mixed farming zones, crops survived but suffered severe moisture stress, with yield reductions exceeding 69 percent.
Ikaal pointed out that Machakos County’s livestock sector covers 76.22% of the county’s area. The main livestock species kept include cattle (386,617), goats (648,637), sheep (195,820), and chickens (3,544,860). The livestock sector production varies between the mixed farming zone and the pastoralism zones of Athi river North and Konza ranches.
Ikaal noted that during adequate rainfall, in the mixed farming zone areas, livestock contributes 35% to food and 40% to income while highest contribution comes from livestock pastoralism where it contributes 45% to food and 70% income. However, Conditions have since deteriorated rapidly due to the ongoing dry spell as well as increase of human wildlife conflicts in Masinga and Matungulu.
“In the Mixed Farming livelihood zones the available pasture and browse is projected to last only 1 month compared to the typical 3 months. Crop residue availability is minimal due to widespread crop failure, limiting supplementary feed options,” said Ikaal.
Mary Makau the County Nutrition Coordinator disclosed that from October 2025, cases of underweight children and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) increased compared to the same season in the previous year which is largely associated with food depletion, food insecurity, and nutritional insecurity.
Makau added that the poor dietary diversity across both zones served as a primary driver for nutritional deterioration since the systemic vulnerability weakened immune systems, contributing to the severe health crisis where Malaria cases peaked and Typhoid infections surged.
“Nutrition indicators show increasing risks, particularly among children under five and pregnant and lactating women, with poor dietary diversity, low meal frequency and rising malnutrition admissions,” decried Ms Makau.
Following these scenarios, the NDMA recommended Urgent multi-sectoral interventions needed, including scaling up food and cash assistance, strengthening nutrition and WASH services, supporting climate-smart livelihoods, ensuring school readiness, and enhancing early warning systems to prevent further deterioration and protect vulnerable households.
The health sector to ensure adequate commodities to manage cases of severe malnutrition screening and growth monitoring, adequate vaccine, zinc and ORS and intensify disease surveillance in the county.
Provision of Subsidized fertilizer support programme to Increase resilience of crops to drought, and Capacity building on Climate-Smart Agriculture to Reduce food losses and promote safe food production for consumption by increasing adaptive capacity as well as desilting of Dams, Drilling and equipping of borehole to increase access of water in the community.
CECM Youth and Sports Rita Ndunge and CECM Roads and Urban housing Anastacia Mnyaka called for urgent Interventions and cooperation with other stakeholders in providing tailored aid and targeted feeding programs to vulnerable groups in the county.
By Anne Kangero
