Kenya’s First Lady, Rachel Ruto, who was invited by US First Lady Melania Trump, sparked controversy with her rain testimony in America and remarks about ongoing State House keshas.
In an interview, Rachel Ruto told America’s CBN News that Kenya depends on rainfed agriculture, making rainfall critical for food security. She stated that when it does not rain, it poses a major challenge to the country.
The First Lady recalled that on February 14, 2023, one month after a dry spell, rain began to pour and has reportedly continued since then.
“In Kenya, we depend on rainfed agriculture. And so when it doesn’t rain, you know, it is really a big challenge to the country. And that was on the 14th of February of 2023, exactly one month later. The rain started pouring. I can tell you it has not stopped,” Rachel Ruto stated.
She further claimed that Kenya is now food secure, despite occasional short dry spells across different regions.
Rachel Ruto Attributes Kenya’s Food Security to State House Prayers and Predicts Endless Rains
Mama Rachel confirmed that prayers at State House are ongoing, with people conducting intercessions in various locations, including public parks.
Additionally, she pointed out that overnight prayers, called keshas, are held every Friday at the State House and attributed the ongoing rains to these spiritual activities.
“Sometimes you’re walking, and you see in the parks, you know, groups, you know, meeting and just praying. People have overnight prayers, like even in the statehouse. We have overnight prayers every Friday in the statehouse,” she said.
Also Read: Global Appeal Launched to Save 2.1 Million Kenyans Facing Drought and Hunger
Referencing 2024 Uganda’s East African revival in the 1930s, she predicted continuous rains and claimed that fertilizer would no longer be needed for planting crops in the country in the future. Mama Rachel Ruto said that revival has come to Kenya.
The First Lady recalled a personal experience in May 2022, when she prayed for impure borehole water at their residence while William Ruto was still deputy president, and the water reportedly became clean.
Kenya Faces Severe Drought in 2026 Amid Calls for National Disaster Declaration
Kenya experienced severe drought at the start of 2026, particularly in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), following two consecutive failed short-rain seasons in 2024 and 2025.
Also Read: Kenya Met Warns of More Floods and Drought Amid Unpredictable Weather
The government, through the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), placed several ASAL counties in the drought “alert” and “alarm” phases, prompting coordinated relief efforts, including food distribution, water trucking, livestock feed support, and medical nutrition interventions.
According to NDMA, agencies reported that over 3.5 million people required emergency food assistance in early 2026, up from 2.2 million in 2025.
The government requested approximately KSh 13 billion to address the food security and water crisis response.
County leaders, including Ahmed Abdullahi, the Wajir County governor, urged President William Ruto to declare the drought a national disaster, citing the need for larger-scale national and international funding to accelerate relief operations.
