President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for international aid support and asked for food supplies to be given to the most poverty-stricken communities in Kenya.

County charity Kenya’s Red Cross says 2.7 million people face starvation and dehydration if extremal help is not provided to communities.

“It’s vital that the international community recognises the plight of the Kenyan people,” said Steve George-Hilley, director at the Africa Accelerate Project.

The drought is believed to have been caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon which happened in 2016.

As well as Kenya, neighbouring Somalia is reported to also be suffering. Fifty per cent of the population is reported to be suffering from food shortages and the UN has ratified the claims of a mass famine.

The last waive of major famine in 2011 led to the deaths of 250,000 Somalian people.

“The third sector cannot shoulder this burden alone and we need more online donation portals and initiatives to encourage collective communities to come together,” said Steve George-Hilley.