Wajir Deputy Governor Ahmed Muhumed Abdi has warned that droughts in northern Kenya are becoming more frequent and severe, forcing pastoral communities to rethink their traditional livelihoods.
Speaking on Wednesday on Radio Generation, Abdi said that while counties are investing in water infrastructure and exploring alternative income sources, long-term solutions will require national investment in roads, electricity, and information and communication technology (ICT).
“From 1964 to about 2016, Kenya realised about 15 droughts,” he said, noting that four occurred between 2000 and 2016 alone.
“That means the frequency has increased, from eight to ten years to now about three to four years.” He added that the trend has continued in recent years: “When we got into office in 2022, we came in with a reserve. Now we are experiencing another one. It is just a period of three years.”
Northern Kenya, including Wajir County, has long faced recurrent droughts, but climate change and consecutive failed rainy seasons have intensified these dry spells over the last decade.
Prolonged dry periods following the October–December and March–May rains have shortened drought cycles from once every eight to ten years to roughly every three to four years, worsening livestock losses and food insecurity.
Abdi highlighted how shifting rainfall patterns are affecting the local economy. “The rainfall intensity has tremendously reduced, and the frequency and intensity of droughts have also been increased tremendously. It decreases the value of our main economic mainstay, livestock," he said.
He added that traditional coping mechanisms no longer offer adequate protection for pastoralists.
According to the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), Wajir is currently in the alarm drought phase. Water sources are drying up, and livestock are trekking longer distances in search of pasture and water.
More than 300,000 residents are affected, with over 200,000 facing food insecurity. Historical droughts have taken a heavy toll; the 2020–2022 drought in ASAL regions, including Wajir, resulted in the loss of over 2.5 million livestock units.
The Deputy Governor said these challenges are forcing pastoral communities to consider alternative livelihoods. “We have mushrooming of settlements coming up virtually every day,” he said, cautioning that traditional pastoralism may not survive in its current form by 2050.
The national government has provided drought relief funds to cushion affected counties. In recent allocations, the Treasury released more than Sh6 billion in two phases—Sh2.5 billion in December and Sh3.5 billion later—for drought mitigation activities, including food and water support.
Long-term drought responses have also included cash transfers through the Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP), with Wajir receiving Sh95 million for households triggered by severe drought conditions.
On the ground, the county government, working with NDMA, has ramped up water trucking. Dozens of bowsers are deployed to schools and critical centres across sub-counties to reduce water scarcity for humans and livestock.
“We have about 400 boreholes now, probably the highest per capita in any county,” Abdi said, noting that 14 more are expected to be completed next month. Some boreholes also support irrigation, part of a broader push to diversify livelihoods. “We try to diversify income sources for our households,” he said.
The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) has issued a warning over the worsening drought across Wajir and other ASAL counties, calling for expanded humanitarian support.
According to its latest update, the crisis has affected over 2 million people in eight counties, including Wajir, Turkana, Mandera, Samburu, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, West Pokot, and Baringo.
Hundreds of thousands of children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers face acute malnutrition, while over 300,000 households urgently need safe water. KRCS and partners are delivering water, food, and cash assistance to vulnerable communities.
Abdi pointed to success stories in Eldas, where former pastoralists have turned to crop farming. He described one farmer earning about 80,000 shillings a day, citing it as proof that diversification can succeed under the right conditions. However, he stressed that county governments have limits.
“There’s only so much we can assist,” he said, calling for private sector investment in livestock and fodder production. He also acknowledged the role of NGOs: “NGOs usually come in at the tail end, especially when things go south,” offering short-term support such as cash transfers and food aid.
For Abdi, long-term resilience depends on infrastructure development. “These are capital intensive projects like roads, power, ICT,” he said, noting that these largely fall under the national government’s mandate. Without them, development and productivity remain limited. “Without power usually productivity gets low,” he said, adding that better roads and ICT would improve market access and stimulate economic activity. Despite the slow pace, he expressed optimism about growing national focus on northern Kenya: “It is slow, but we are moving there.”
