Kenyan governors have raised the alarm over a looming drought, urging the immediate establishment of grain, livestock, and hay reserves to prevent massive losses, particularly in ASAL counties.
Speaking during the Intergovernmental Agriculture Forum (IGAF) 2025 in Naivasha, Council of Governors chair Ahmed Abdullahi warned that pastoral communities, still recovering from a recent drought that killed over three million livestock, face serious losses if urgent measures are not taken. “Livestock has started to die, and it’s time we established strategic reserves so that every drought does not wipe out our economy,” he said.
NDMA reports indicate that over 1.8 million people, including 500,000 children and 100,000 pregnant women, urgently need food assistance. Of these, about 179,000 are in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency), mainly in Baringo, Mandera, Marsabit, and Turkana. The Authority predicts that deteriorating rains and rising temperatures could push 2.1 million people into severe food insecurity.
Governors highlighted challenges including limited access to water, poor pasture conditions, livestock diseases, and increasing intercommunal conflict. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe called for urgent adoption of technology, improved storage, and better soil health management to mitigate future losses.
While interventions such as borehole drilling and water trucking are underway, governors stressed that more comprehensive measures are needed to protect pastoral livelihoods and ensure food security across vulnerable counties.
