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As drought conditions intensify across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), the government is scaling up livestock protection measures in counties now classified under heightened drought alert phases.

In Mandera County, currently categorised in the ‘Alarm’ phase, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), with support from the National Drought Emergency Fund, is distributing over 10,080 bags (50kg each) of livestock supplementary feed, commonly referred to as drought pellets.

The allocation targets Mandera North, Mandera South, Lafey, Mandera West, Banisa, and Mandera East sub-counties.

Protecting Core Livelihood Systems

Pastoral economies in northern Kenya depend on livestock not only as assets, but as food systems, savings mechanisms, and cultural anchors. When pasture and water decline, livestock body condition deteriorates rapidly, reducing milk output, weakening herds, and increasing mortality risks. Hence, the rollout of cash support for families, the offering of food, and water.

The drought pellets, first introduced by NDMA in 2017, are nutrient-dense supplementary feed formulated to maintain livestock body weight when natural forage is severely limited.

The drought pellets are specifically designed to protect “core breeding and milking stock”, animals that remain within settlements, while larger herds are capable of migrating in search of pasture. Safeguarding these animals helps maintain household milk access and supports nutritional stability, particularly for children.

Each 50kg bag sustains one cow for approximately 25 days at a feeding rate of 2kg per day. Sheep and goats require about 0.5kg per animal per day.

The inclusion of hay feeds along with other relief support is essential for the region. As reflected in field assessments across northern and eastern Kenya, forage conditions ranging from fair to poor have significant impacts. These include declining milk production, increased cross-border livestock migration, and rising nutrition concerns, early signals that, if unaddressed, can spiral into humanitarian emergencies.

NDMA Chief Executive Officer Hared Hassan emphasizes that drought response has moved beyond reactive crisis management, as early warnings are received and context-based interventions are put in place.

“Drought is predictable. Our response must therefore be proactive, coordinated, and evidence-based,” Hassan said, noting that delayed interventions often escalate into deeper humanitarian crises and significantly higher recovery costs.

Early Action Versus Emergency Relief

Kenya’s drought management framework has evolved over the past decade to emphasize early warning systems and anticipatory action. The NDMA’s drought phase classification, which includes Normal, Alert, Alarm, and Emergency, is designed to trigger timely interventions before livelihoods on the frontlines become more vulnerable.

Through these phases, diverse and befitting interventions are rolled out to address serious stress in pasture, water availability, and livestock productivity.

Similar feed support is ongoing in Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit, Isiolo, Turkana, Tana River, Kilifi, and Kwale counties, indicating that drought stress is not isolated but part of a broader climatic pattern affecting Kenya’s ASAL belt.

It’s notable that climate variability, compounded by rising temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns, continues to stretch pastoral coping mechanisms. Yet also apparent is the interlinkage of Increased livestock migration, shrinking grazing corridors, and cross-border pressures, which heighten the risk of resource-based tensions.

Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku of the Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes, said the government is leveraging inter-agency coordination to strengthen drought responses, ensuring timely support reaches vulnerable households.

“Through enhanced resource mobilisation and coordination, we are deploying water trucking interventions, including bowsers from various government departments and institutions, to maximise impact and avoid duplication,” said Ruku.

In addition to livestock feed, the government flagged off 560 bags of maize and 560 bags of beans for affected households, alongside four lorries of hay to reinforce livestock feeding interventions.

Yet the recurring cycle of drought emergencies raises broader policy questions: how can Kenya transition from seasonal response to long-term resilience?