Tigania West: School-going children resort to eating roots to keep hunger at bay

The hunger crisis has forced some school-going children in Tigania West to resort to eating the roots of plants.

A visit to Nkiluthu Primary School revealed the dire situation as children dug through soil in search of roots and seeds to eat to keep hunger at bay.

Deputy head teacher Francis Mwingirwa Akwalo said he had left the children to dig out the roots because they were hungry and there was no point in sending them home as there was no food there either.

Kenya is among 19 countries identified as hunger hotspots, where the food crisis has worsened, a UN report has said.

Up to 26 million people are expected to face a crisis or worse levels of food insecurity in Somalia, Southern and Eastern Ethiopia, and Northern and Eastern Kenya.

This week, President William Ruto flagged off 20,000 bags of rice, 20,000 bags of beans, assorted animal feed to areas facing severe drought.