Background: Wasting refers to a child who is too thin for his or her height. Wasting is as a result of sudden or acute malnutrition, where the child does not get enough calories from food and hence faces an immediate risk of death. Objective: To assess the prevalence of wasting in less than five years children admitted in the pediatric ward in Kitale County Referral Hospital. Design: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study Setting: Kitale County Referral Hospital pediatric ward. Subjects/Participants: All children under 5 years of age admitted in the pediatric ward in Kitale County Referral hospital

Results: The prevalence of severe wasting was 14.2% and 18.4% for moderate wasting. The overall diet quality was inadequate due to budget for patient food and low priority for nutrition as part of medical treatment and failure to adhere to the hospital menu.