Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has activated a multi-agency government response to confront a deepening drought crisis that has left an estimated 3.3 million Kenyans in urgent need of food, water and livelihood support.
The government is intensifying the distribution of relief supplies across affected regions as part of a coordinated plan to prevent the situation from escalating into a humanitarian emergency.
“I assure the people of Kenya that the government will not spare any resources to make sure we don’t lose human life and mitigate the effects of the drought on livestock and wildlife,” DP declared.
Kindiki chaired a strategy session at the Official Residence in Karen, Nairobi, convening Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and heads of key state agencies to align interventions and accelerate delivery mechanisms.The Deputy President said the drought, driven by poor rainfall between October and December 2025, has pushed several counties into crisis status, including Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Marsabit, Turkana, Kwale, Meru North, Samburu and Isiolo.
These regions are experiencing acute shortages of food and pasture, threatening both households and pastoral economies.
“Many counties are in need of food for the people and livestock feed. We are tirelessly working on effective last-mile delivery of food so it does not take long to reach the people. We are also trucking water to the people and livestock,” DP noted.
Relief efforts are being designed to cushion those most at risk, with targeted support directed to school-going children, women and persons living with disabilities to ensure social services remain uninterrupted.
“We need food to reach our schools so that learners are not disrupted by the ongoing drought situation. We have reviewed and resolved to upscale the ongoing interventions. We have also resolved to diversify the provision of food to take care of special members of society, including children, women and vulnerable members of society,” he stated.
At the same time, the government is reinforcing long-term food security measures ahead of the 2026 planting season.
Kenya Railways has begun transporting subsidised fertiliser to National Cereals and Produce Board depots in Eldoret, Moi’s Bridge and Kitale to ensure farmers access inputs in time for the long rains.
The fertiliser consignments, coordinated with the National Cereals and Produce Board and private-sector partners, are being transported through integrated Metre Gauge and Standard Gauge Railway systems, alongside expanded storage and distribution infrastructure across multiple agricultural towns, including Mai Mahiu Station, which features a 4,000 h-ton storage warehouse.
Additional depots targeted for fertiliser distribution during both the long and short rain seasons include Thika, Sagana, Karatina, Kiganjo, Nanyuki, Naivasha, Nakuru, Elburgon, Kipkelion, Butere, Kipkarren River, Yala, Turbo, Webuye, Bungoma and Malaba, among others, equipped with rail sidings.
Officials say the rail-based logistics network is helping cut transport costs, stabilise commodity prices and maintain supply chains, forming a critical bridge between emergency relief today and sustained agricultural recovery in the months ahead.
The twin-track approach, rapid humanitarian support coupled with investment in the next planting cycle, signals the State’s determination to shield vulnerable communities now while rebuilding resilience against future climate shocks.
