The government has disbursed more than Sh1.8 billion in cash transfers to over 133,000 poor and vulnerable households under the Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP), targeting families in eight arid and semi-arid counties.
In a statement on Monday, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) said Sh1.8 billion had been credited to beneficiaries' bank accounts to cover the February, March, April, May and June 2026 payment cycles.
According to the authority, the funds will benefit 133,484 registered households in Mandera, Wajir, Turkana, Marsabit, Garissa, Isiolo, Samburu and Tana River.
The NDMA, which falls under the Ministry of East African Community, ASALs and Regional Development, said the cash transfers are intended to cushion drought-affected households by helping them meet basic needs, including food, while reducing the need to sell livestock and other productive assets during prolonged dry spells.
"The programme operates on a verified social registry, where households are ranked using a
poverty-based targeting system," the statement read in part.
Under the programme, each registered household receives an unconditional monthly stipend of Sh2,700.
The authority said the Hunger Safety Net Programme forms part of the government's wider National Safety Net Programme, Inua Jamii, and supports the implementation of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda through social protection initiatives.
Beneficiaries will access the funds through Equity Bank and Kenya Commercial Bank branches and agents operating within their respective counties after the NDMA authorised the two financial institutions to facilitate the payments.
The authority advised beneficiaries experiencing payment challenges to visit the nearest bank branch or NDMA county office to update their records and resolve any pending issues.
Turkana received the largest allocation under the latest disbursement, with Sh537.9 million benefiting 39,843 households.
Mandera followed with Sh299.2 million for 22,168 households, while Marsabit received Sh275.5 million for 20,410 households.
Wajir received Sh259.2 million for 19,170 households, Garissa Sh124.8 million for 9,243 households, Samburu Sh111.8 million for 8,286 households, Tana River Sh99.4 million for 7,364 households and Isiolo Sh94.5 million for 7,000 households.
According to the NDMA, the Hunger Safety Net Programme is a Vision 2030 flagship initiative supporting about 133,800 registered poor and vulnerable households across the eight counties.
The authority said the programme uses a verified social registry that ranks households through a poverty-based targeting system to ensure assistance reaches those most in need.
It added that the initiative supports the constitutional right of every Kenyan to be free from hunger and to have adequate food of acceptable quality as provided for under Article 43 of the Constitution.
