UPDATE ON DROUGHT SITUATION IN ASAL COUNTIES – March 2024
1.0 Overview
1.1 Rainfall
Most of the pastoral counties including Mandera, Wajir, Isiolo, Tana River, Garissa, Turkana, Marsabit and Samburu received less than 50mm of rainfall in February, while a number of semi-arid counties among them Tharaka Nithi, Embu, Kajiado, Meru, Makueni, Kitui, Kajiado, Laikipia, Narok, Baringo, Nyeri and West Pokot, received less than 100mm.
1.2 Impact on Production
The condition of water and forage resources remains stable across the counties, including pasture and browse whose condition is good in majority of arid and semi-arid counties. Livestock production is stable as body conditions remain good and prices above long-term average across all species. Crop production remained stable as harvest of cereals and pulses continued in marginal crop production areas. Isiolo, Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit and Baringo counties recorded migration to wet season grazing areas.
1.3 Drought Status
All the 23 ASAL counties remained within the ‘Normal’ drought phase based on the range of environmental, production, access and utilisation indicators monitored that fell within their usual ranges as result of good 2023 short rains. However, the residual effects of the 2021-2023 drought are still prevalent and an assessment of the impact of the 2023 Short Rains indicates that 2 million people in the 23 ASAL counties remain food-insecure. The report also flags 847,932 children aged 6 to 59 months and 124,359 pregnant and breastfeeding women as requiring treatment for acute. The situation is attributed to prolonged effects of the last drought that devastated local livelihoods and assets, coupled with other risks such as floods and Rift Valley Fever.
The national drought early warning system also indicates that;
- Outbreak of Rift Valley Fever, abnormal abortion among goats and other notifiable livestock diseases in Marsabit, Wajir, Marsabit, Samburu, Kajiado, Narok and Mandera counties continue to affect livestock production.
- Access to water resources improved slightly in terms of trekking distances to an average of 6Kms for both livestock and domestic sources.
- Livestock prices across all species remained stable while cereal prices improved marginally, stabilising the purchasing power of households.
- Malnutrition rates in Garissa, Samburu, Turkana, Tana River, Kwale, Makueni, Tharaka Nithi and West Pokot counties require close monitoring.
1.4 Weather Outlook
The Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF 66) and Kenya Meteorology Department (KMD) weather outlook for March to May long rains season indicates normal to above-normal (65% probability) in most parts of the ASALs. This implies likelihood of wet conditions and associated risks in some of the counties. Technical teams are already sensitising communities in these areas through advisories on local radio stations.
2.0 Ongoing Resilience Building Initiatives
The Government in collaboration with other stakeholders, continues to prioritise long-term resilience building in the ASALs during the current ‘Normal’ drought phase. Towards this, the Ministry of East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development, in collaboration with stakeholders, is supporting implementation of resilience building interventions to support community livelihoods. Among these are;
- Joint efforts in the control of Rift Valley Fever in Marsabit, Wajir and Mandera by County Governments, NDMA, Frontier Counties Development Council and other stakeholders.
- NDMA is implementing 32 community projects, which are at various stages, across the 23 ASAL counties during the current financial year. The projects, which are funded by the National Government under the National Drought Emergency Fund, support of the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme, are prioritised by local communities through participatory processes in line with the Government Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. They include dams and water pans; rehabilitation and equipping of boreholes; extension of pipelines; rehabilitation, expansion and equipping of irrigation schemes; and support to livelihoods through livestock restocking (breed improvement) and value chains development among others.
- The Government under the Hunger Safety Net Programme implemented by NDMA has on monthly basis disbursed KSh 332 million to 122,000 vulnerable beneficiaries in Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Samburu, Tana River and Isiolo counties.
- Other cash transfers under the Inuua Jamii programme implemented by the State Department for Social Protection also disburse monthly stipends to beneficiaries.
- The Government through agricultural extension services continues to register farmers to access extension information and subsidised farm inputs.
For more information