The government has unveiled a raft of urgent interventions to shield millions of Kenyans from a deepening drought that has scorched farms, depleted pasture and pushed vulnerable communities to the brink.
At least 2.1 million people across 32 drought-prone counties are said to be facing food and nutrition shortages, a situation state officials said could worsen if swift action is not taken.
According to Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, the government had begun coordinating both short-term relief and longer-term resilience measures.
“The food stress we are witnessing is largely the result of poor and erratic rainfall, which has led to widespread crop failure and reduced pasture for livestock,” Kindiki said.
He cited forecasts by the Kenya Meteorological Department indicating that the affected counties will require sustained humanitarian, nutritional, health and livestock support for at least the next six months, until harvests from the March-May long rains become available.
On Tuesday, the DP chaired a high-level crisis meeting bringing together Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, governors, heads of state agencies and chief executives to assess the scale of the drought the cost of interventions required, and the resources needed to cushion households and protect livelihoods in the hardest-hit regions.
“A follow-up meeting bringing on board development partners, humanitarian organisations and the private sector will be held, after which the government will release a comprehensive roadmap on drought mitigation,” he said.
The drought situation brief, National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) said, forms part of the Food Security Monitoring Committee Report for November 2025, which provides a comprehensive assessment of the crop, livestock, and related food and nutrition security sectors.
“The briefing focused on implications of the worsening drought conditions and priority response interventions required to mitigate impacts on vulnerable populations and livelihoods,” it said.
Weather forecasts paint a grim outlook.
A recent KMD report places the probability of La Niña conditions in December 2025 at 60 per cent, with rainfall expected to be poorly distributed, prolonged dry spells in most areas and temperatures remaining above average countrywide.
According to the report, the northeastern counties, southeastern lowlands and parts of the Coast are likely to receive below-average rainfall during the October-December short rains season, heightening the risk of food insecurity.
The cumulative effects of below-average rainfall and above-normal temperatures have accelerated depletion of water and rangeland resources, increasing pressure on pastoral and agropastoral livelihoods.
To reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture, the government announced plans to fast-track large-scale irrigation, including the construction of 50 mega dams, 200 mini-dams and more than 1,000 micro-dams.
The projects are expected to bring an additional 2.5 million acres under production.
“These investments are critical to strengthening food and water security, supporting agro-industrialisation and uplifting rural livelihoods,” the Cabinet said in a statement released Tuesday.
Counties bearing the brunt of the drought include Turkana, Machakos, Makueni, Kitui, Taita Taveta, Kajiado, Tana River, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit and Isiolo, among others.
Red Cross continued Tuesday to distribute food to more than 200 families in Karimani Village, Bamba Ward, Ganze Sub-County, Kilifi County.
The area has started experiencing drought, with more than 46 water pans drying up, leaving residents with no option but to rely on aid from the government and other stakeholders.
