Kenyans unite to raise funds for citizens battling drought

A campaign to raise funds for starving Kenyans has galvanized the nation as families battle a devastating drought in the nation's northern region.

The effort, dubbed "Kenyans for Kenya," has raised about $7.6 million so far. Hundreds of thousands answered the call to help fellow citizens, with some donating their entire monthly salaries.

"I was watching television one night when I saw a rail thin baby suckling on her mother long after she was dead," said Hashim Elmoge, a police officer in the capital, Nairobi.

"It was just sad ... As a Kenyan, I could not just sit there and not do anything especially after seeing those images of emaciated women and children."

A few days later, he handed over his entire July salary to the campaign, which will administer the funds through the Kenyan Red Cross.

"Those children are like our children. With the progress we have in the world, children should not go hungry," he said.

Elmoge declined to say how much he makes. Most Kenyans are paid monthly, with a police official in his position earning about $200 a month.