Government rolls out drought relief support in Mandera County
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The country is facing a severe drought following below-average October–November–December rains, leaving millions of people food insecure nationwide. Mandera County is among the hardest hit, with the prolonged dry spell threatening lives, livelihoods and livestock.
In response, the State Department for Special Programmes has rolled out short-term relief measures even as longer-term, sustainable drought mitigation programmes are being implemented across Arid and Semi-Arid Lands counties.
Speaking during the exercise in Kutulo Sub-County, Principal Secretary Ismail Maalim said the intervention reflects the Government’s commitment to supporting vulnerable households during emergencies while building resilience for the future.
“This is an immediate response to cushion families affected by the drought through the provision of food, non-food items and water support, even as we continue rolling out long-term programmes to sustainably address drought impacts in ASAL counties,” said Mr. Maalim.
According to the PS, President William Ruto’s administration remains firmly committed to ensuring that drought-affected communities across the country receive timely support while long-term systems are strengthened to prevent recurrent humanitarian crises.
“The government is taking a whole-of-country approach to drought response. Our priority is to save lives, protect livelihoods and build resilience for communities not just in Mandera, but across all affected regions,” he said.
Under Phase One of the intervention, the government says it has distributed a total of 13,380 bags of rice and 11,180 bags of beans, amounting to 24,560 bags of food commodities across Mandera County’s 12 sub-counties.
In addition, it has committed to deploying one water bowser to each of the county’s 12 sub-counties to support emergency water trucking and ease acute water shortages affecting households, institutions and grazing areas.
During the visit to Kutulo, the Principal Secretary led a team that assessed the impact of the drought while overseeing the delivery of immediate food and non-food assistance, complemented by emergency water trucking interventions.
Mandera South Member of Parliament, Kore Haro, welcomed the intervention saying; “This intervention has come at a critical time for our people."
His Mandera North counterpart Maj. (Rtd) Bashir Abdullaih, also said the coordinated response was critical in addressing the immediate humanitarian needs of affected communities.
“We are seeing a responsive Government that is present on the ground. The support being provided will go a long way in easing the burden on families and protecting livelihoods as longer-term solutions are pursued,” said Bashir.
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