The Kenyan government has said it will buy up all the country's available maize stocks to feed those in the drought-stricken north-east. Describing the situation as "very severe", it said it would put aside $14m (£7.9m) to purchase the maize.
Kenya says its main priority is to feed the 2.5 million people at immediate risk, almost 10% of the population.
The United Nations food agency has warned that 11 million people across the Horn of Africa need food aid.