Most parts remain “unusually” dry

A report from USAID’s Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) said most parts of Kenya remained “unusually” dry last month, with the exception of coastal and western areas. It said the continued absence of rainfall was of “pronounced concern” in pastoral districts, drought-prone marginal agricultural areas and some key grain-producing districts in Rift Valley province. FEWS noted that the welfare of farm households in marginal agricultural areas had been undermined significantly and livestock migration in pastoral districts had been “earlier than usual.” “That migration is expected to compromise substantially the food security status of especially the sedentary members of the pastoralists’ households,” the report said. Meteorological forecasts indicate that these areas would continue to experience dry conditions in June, while the western half of the country would receive “normal to above normal” rainfall.