Turkana East Families Turn to Wild Beans Amid Worsening Hunger Crisis
News Updated: 18 February 2026 19:42 EAT
At the Nakaruon village, Turkana East, mothers are searching for wild beans, locally known as endungee, to feed their children.
A deepening hunger crisis in Kenya’s Turkana East is forcing families in drought‑stricken areas to resort to desperate coping measures, including foraging for and boiling wild beans.
Mothers in Nakaruon village have been collecting wild beans known locally as endungee to feed their children. The beans require boiling for more than eight hours to become safe for consumption, reflecting the severity of food shortages in the region.
The crisis is driven by a prolonged drought that has devastated water sources and grazing land in northern Kenya, compounding food insecurity across the arid and semi‑arid lands. National estimates indicate that more than two million people in Kenya face drought‑related hunger and water stress.
Pastoral livelihoods — the mainstay of Turkana communities — have been especially hard hit, with herds weakened or lost after successive failed rainy seasons. Livestock decline undermines both food availability and household income for pastoral families.
Local officials have previously warned of the drought’s harsh impact. In early 2025, Turkana Deputy Governor John Erus highlighted the lack of adequate water and pasture as threats to social stability and community well‑being.
Humanitarian agencies engaged in the region have underscored the urgency of expanding support to prevent further deterioration in nutrition and health outcomes, especially among children. Aid efforts include distributions of foodstuffs and cash transfers, though funding gaps and logistical challenges persist.
The resort to wild endungee beans by families in Turkana East illustrates how communities are pushed to the limits of traditional coping mechanisms in the face of sustained climate stress and food scarcity.
Broader drought relief efforts continue across northern counties, with international partners and national agencies mobilising resources to assist vulnerable households confronting hunger, malnutrition and water shortages.
Without significant increases in emergency support and improved access to water and food supplies, residents of Turkana East face ongoing hardship as the drought drags on.
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FELIX MAKONA
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