At least 13, 000 farmers in the three coastal counties of Kilifi, Taita-Taveta and Kwale will benefit from the compensation funds paid by agricultural insurance companies.
The farmers will at least receive Sh85 million to cushion them from the effects of drought.
The coastal counties performed poorly in agriculture following the prolonged dry season which caused massive damage to crops and livestock.
Farmers also incurred huge losses as crops did not do well.
In Kwale, at least 70 per cent of the residents were affected by drought.
Kilifi will get the lion's share of Sh56 million followed by Taita-Taveta at Sh14.9 million and Kwale Sh13.9 million.
Speaking during the launch of the insurance payouts at Kwale Baraza Park in Matuga, Agriculture Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga said the project is part of the government efforts in empowering local farmers to improve productivity and food security.
"National and county governments have a joint programme in helping farmers grow where they are given farm inputs and insurance as part of the package, " he said.
Boga said the farmers under the Kenya Cereal Enhancement Programme- Climate-Resilient Agricultural Livelihoods Window are enrolled on insurance programmes to protect them from calamities.
The programme had targeted 15,900 in the region, but got 8,000 with only 3,000 enrolled to the insurance covers.
He said climate change, pests and diseases are the main challenges affecting the growth of the local farmers.
Boga said they want to equip farmers with mechanisms to overcome agricultural drawbacks, improve livelihoods and the economy through agriculture.
The PS said the only way small-scale farmers can become successful is by insuring their agricultural undertakings to help them walk through tough times when things get bad.
Boga said there is need for the local farmers to embrace the insurance covers as a way of protecting their lifetime investments from harm.
Kwale county Agriculture executive Joan Nyamasyo said the insurance covers have come at a time when the farmers need them the most.
She said the effect of climate change is a disaster to the local farmers' progress.
"Last season many farmers had nothing and for those who had insured themselves, [they] will easily pick up from the losses, " she said.
According to Pula, an agricultural insurance and technology company, co-founder Rose Goslinga, the money will assist the farmers to buy farm inputs to prepare for the next planting season.
"Farmers paid money and it's time for us to keep our promise because they have experienced drought and we want to enable them to plant again when rains come," she said.
The farmers are normally paid seasonally for the losses.
Pula is insuring at least 16 countries in Africa, according to Goslinga.
Goslinga said, within the 16 countries, they have insured more than one billion dollars worth of agricultural investments and paid more than 15 million dollars to farmers.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
