Conservation of Wild Food Plants and Their Potential for Combatting Food Insecurity in Kenya as Exemplified by the Drylands of Kitui County

Wild food plants are important resources for people living in dry areas of Kenya. A botanical inventory of vascular plants of Kitui county was compiled from specimens collected during field investigations in Kitui county, at the East African herbarium and from literature reporting on plants of Kitui county. The study showed that a total of 199 wild plants found in Kitui county have the potential of being utilized as foods in different ways. Further studies on species distribution are necessary to address conservation concerns that may threaten such plants.