Country Stats

  • Population: 56,625,281
  • Population below poverty line: 36%
  • Youth unemployment: 39%
  • Total number of food insecure individuals: 3.5 million

Concern's Impact

  • People receiving food, agriculture, water, nutrition and/or livestock assistance through USAID funded drought response programming: 250,000
  • Children benefited from education work: 13,000 children in 2022 in Nairobi/Marsabit County
  • Result of climate smart agriculture programs: 11,000 households reached in Tana River

Why are we in Kenya?  Kenya is ranked 152nd out of 191 countries in the latest Human Development Index, and as of 2022, 3.5 million people have been classified as food insecure. Kenya is also vulnerable to the effects of climate change, particularly drought.

Coping with the effects of the worst drought in decades

Climate change continues to seriously impact the poor in rural areas, with Kenya regularly experiencing devastating droughts. Kenya is continuing to cope with the effects of its worst drought in decades, resulting in widespread water scarcity, mass livestock deaths, and millions facing extreme hunger. Close to one million children under the age of five are acutely malnourished.

Concern operates health and nutrition, education and livelihoods programming in Kenya. We are committed to addressing the root causes of poverty in urban and rural program areas by strengthening the capacity of public service providers to meet basic needs and by enhancing the income and wellbeing of the extremely poor. 

Latest achievements

Education

In 2022, our education program aimed to help girls successfully finish their current stage of education reached 201 primary and 21 secondary schools in Nairobi and Marsabit County, and supported 13,000 students in gaining the skills, qualifications and confidence required to take control of their lives.

Climate smart agriculture

In Tana River, we supported almost 11,000 households to productively cultivate more than 2,000 acres of land using climate smart agricultural techniques. The resulting harvest of over 600 tons of mixed crops meant that families had a good variety and quantity of food in their diet, far exceeding the country average.

Drought resilience

In Turkana and Marsabit counties, we continued to build the capacity of communities to recover and respond to drought by ensuring that both households and livestock had continuous access to clean water. Activities included supporting a rapid response team to rehabilitate 22 boreholes serving over 35,000 people, and promoting the importance of hygiene at the school and community level.

General View of the centre of Kibera slum area in Nairobi inclulding art from Art 360 artist collective. Participants of the Kinyango Community Conversation, Dandora IV, are a group of active citizens who meet weekly to address issues of access to education within their community.
Woman with goat herd outside her home in Turkana, northern KenyaLtagolon Lesurmat with one of his new Galla goats in Marsabit, Kenya.
St. Peter's Primary School in Sagante, Marsabit County, Kenya.A student at a school in a slum in Nairobi, Kenya.

How we're helping Kenya

We are working hard to combat suffering and build resilience in Kenya. We are doing this by implementing programs which will strengthen resilience, respond to emergencies and provide access to quality education.

Alexi Lubomirski program visit

Royal wedding photographer and Concern ambassador Alexi Lubomirski visited our education and nutrition programs in Kenya. This video shows the inspiring people he met in Nairobi.

News & Features