Government relief food programmes are under fresh scrutiny after Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu raised concerns over weak oversight, poor tracking systems and the absence of clear policies guiding food aid distribution.
In her audit for the 2024/25 financial year, Gathungu revealed that the State Department for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands lacks a formally approved framework to manage relief food and non-food items, despite billions being spent on drought response.
The review shows gaps in beneficiary identification, stock tracking and reporting, raising doubts about whether assistance reaches the most vulnerable.
The audit period coincided with severe drought conditions that left more than two million Kenyans in need of humanitarian support.
Gathungu also faulted the lack of performance indicators and feedback mechanisms, warning that weak accountability undermines transparency and limits learning for future interventions.
