Kenya will spend 118 million dollars on more food

Kenya's government is freeing up more money in it's budget to buy more food. The country is in an emergency situation as the rains did not arrive during the recent monsoon season. The U.N.'s World Food Programme recently called on the world to bring in more donations to Kenya.

From Bloomberg, writer Eric Ombok tells us more about Kenya's move.

Kenya’s government allocated 9 billion shillings ($118.1 million) to buy more food imports, as up to 10 million people are at risk of “severe hunger” due to drought, said Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.

The government will “reprioritize expenditure” to come up with the funds, Kenyatta told reporters today in the capital, Nairobi.

Drought reduced crops, lowered hydropower electricity production which led to power cuts, and caused widespread water shortages. Corn production may fall 65 percent below consumption this year, Prime Minister Raila Odinga said on Aug. 12. The United Nations’ World Food Program said on Aug. 21 an additional 1.3 million people in the East African nation are in need of food aid. The agency is currently distributing food to 2.5 million Kenyans and gives meals to more than one million schoolchildren.