Machakos: National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) has enlisted Machakos County as a food insecure area after the region experienced poor rainfall patterns in successive seasons. A Rapid Food and Nutrition Security Assessment report indicated that the county was in a state of food security stress following below-average rainfall during the last October, November, and December period.
According to Kenya News Agency, the assessment, conducted in January 2026 across nine sub-counties in Machakos, revealed that the poorly distributed rainfalls resulted in reduced crop production, early depletion of household food stocks, declining livestock productivity, and constrained water availability. The report called for urgent food interventions. NDMA Coordinator Alice Munyao, speaking during the Machakos County Steering Group (CSG) meeting at the Governor’s office, noted that the assessment aimed to evaluate the prevailing food and nutrition security situation, identify vulnerable populations, and recommend timely
interventions. The multi-sectoral approach involved Agriculture, Livestock, Water, Health and Nutrition, Education, Markets, and Cross-cutting issues, in line with NDMA standards.
The NDMA coordinator highlighted that Machakos may not be listed among the counties facing severe drought in Kenya, but many households consume only 1-2 meals per day and rely heavily on markets amid rising staple food prices. Crop yields for maize, beans, and cowpeas are estimated to be 40-60 percent below the long-term average. Approximately 12-15 percent of the county population is estimated to require humanitarian food assistance between January and March 2026, with the most affected areas being Yatta, Mwala, Kathiani (lower), Kangundo (lower), Matungulu (Yatta plateau), and Athi River.
Additionally, NDMA Drought Information Officer Justus Ikaal revealed that the short rains resulted in poor yields and 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, necessitating urgent food and livelihood interventions.
Ikaal reiterated that the October-November-December 2025 rains were unusually poor, affecting the county’s farming activities. Poor germination and repeated replanting were widespread, with total crop failure reported in all marginal mixed farming livelihood zones. In mixed farming zones, crops survived but suffered severe moisture stress, with yield reductions exceeding 69 percent.
The livestock sector in Machakos County covers 76.22% of the county’s area, with main livestock species including cattle, goats, sheep, and chickens. During adequate rainfall, in the mixed farming zone areas, livestock contributes significantly to food and income, but conditions have deteriorated rapidly due to the ongoing dry spell and increased human-wildlife conflicts in Masinga and Matungulu.
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. This increase is largely associated with food depletion, food insecurity, and nutritional insecurity. Poor dietary diversity across both zones contributed to nutritional deterioration, weakening immune systems and leading to a severe health crisis with peaks in Malaria and Typhoid infections.
The NDMA recommended urgent multi-sectoral interventions, 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 is urged to ensure adequate commodities for managing severe malnutrition, screening, growth monitoring, and disease surveillance.
Provision of subsidized fertilizer support programs, capacit
y building on climate-smart agriculture, desilting of dams, and drilling and equipping boreholes are recommended to increase resilience and access to 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.
