The government has begun releasing more than Sh1.8 billion to thousands of vulnerable households in eight drought-hit counties, giving families a financial boost through the Hunger Safety Net Programme after months of scheduled payments.
In a statement issued on Monday, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) announced that the money had already been deposited into beneficiaries' bank accounts, covering the February, March, April, May and June 2026 payment cycles.
A total of 133,484 registered households in Mandera, Wajir, Turkana, Marsabit, Garissa, Isiolo, Samburu and Tana River are set to benefit from the latest payout.
NDMA said the programme, which is implemented under the Ministry of East African Community, ASALs and Regional Development, is meant to help vulnerable families cope with the effects of drought by enabling them to buy food and other basic necessities without being forced to sell livestock and other productive assets.
"The programme operates on a verified social registry, where households are ranked using a poverty-based targeting system," the statement read in part.
Each household enrolled in the programme receives an unconditional monthly cash transfer of Sh2,700.
The authority said the Hunger Safety Net Programme is one of the social protection interventions under the government's wider Inua Jamii programme and also supports the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda by protecting poor and vulnerable households.
Beneficiaries will receive their payments through Equity Bank and Kenya Commercial Bank branches and agents across the eight counties after the two lenders were authorised to facilitate the disbursement.
NDMA asked beneficiaries experiencing delays or payment challenges to visit the nearest bank branch or county NDMA office to update their records and resolve any outstanding issues.
Turkana received the biggest share of the allocation, with Sh537.9 million disbursed to 39,843 households.
Mandera followed with Sh299.2 million for 22,168 households, Marsabit received Sh275.5 million for 20,410 households, while Wajir was allocated Sh259.2 million benefiting 19,170 households.
Garissa received Sh124.8 million for 9,243 households, Samburu got Sh111.8 million for 8,286 households, Tana River received Sh99.4 million for 7,364 households, while Isiolo was allocated Sh94.5 million benefiting 7,000 households.
According to NDMA, the Hunger Safety Net Programme is a Vision 2030 flagship project supporting about 133,800 poor and vulnerable households across the eight counties.
The authority said the programme relies on a verified social registry that ranks households using a poverty-based targeting system to ensure assistance reaches those who need it most.
It added that the initiative also promotes the constitutional right of every Kenyan to be free from hunger and to have adequate food of acceptable quality under Article 43 of the Constitution.