A 50 percent rise in food prices in Kenya since the start of 2008 has
led many people to drastically reduce their daily diets, according to
the World Food Programme (WFP).
"There has been a sharp
increase in food prices, especially of the staple, maize," WFP
information officer, Gabrielle Menezes, told IRIN.
A two-kilogramme packet of maize flour, currently retailing at Ksh80 (US $1.3), cost just Ksh50 earlier this year.
"The
situation in the arid districts of Turkana and Mandera [northern Kenya]
has especially deteriorated, with pastoralists migrating to
neighbouring countries in search of pasture," said Menezes.
She
observed that the food security situation was made worse by two months
of widespread violence that followed a presidential election in
December and by unfavourable weather conditions. She added that the
agency was running an emergency operation, currently targeting 1.2
million people affected by drought and the post-election crisis.
High
food prices have caused affected communities to adapt their diets,
explained Menezes, such as eating only one meal a day, cutting down on
protein, such as meat and beans, and opting for cheaper vegetables such
as kale.
Mother-of-four Grace Njeri, 42, who lives in Kibera,
a Nairobi slum, told IRIN: "I cannot even afford the packed maize meal.
I now buy maize and take it to a trader who can mill it for me. This
way I spend almost half of what I would if I bought the packed unga
[maize flour]."
"Meat is a luxury I cannot afford; I would
rather buy vegetables with the little money that I get as a
house-help," she added. "Even eggs are too costly. I don't know where I
will get the extra cash to ensure my children have a balanced diet.
Right now it is only ugali [maize meal] or githeri [a mixture of maize
and beans] - they are the only meals I can afford."
On
May 31, police dispersed hundreds of demonstrators in the capital,
Nairobi, who were protesting the high cost of staple foods and calling
for subsidies.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA-Kenya), the Kenya Red Cross Society and
the Ministry of Agriculture are also discussing the provision of seeds
that are quick producing, such as beans.
In a humanitarian
update, OCHA said a taskforce on food security had been formed to
analyze the impact of food price increases and the food security
situation across the country.
"Expected on 19 June, this analysis will provide the basis for the government position on food security,"