A technical coordination follow-up meeting was held on Thursday to take stock of Kenya’s worsening drought situation, following the 14th Development Partnership Forum that brought together senior government leaders and development partners.
The meeting brought together key national government officials and partners, including Principal Secretary Ismael Madey of the State Department for Special Programmes, Principal Secretary Ahmed Abdisalam from National Government Coordination, Mr. Hared Adan, Chief Executive Officer of the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), and Ahmed Idris, the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society.
Discussions focused on the drought status in ten counties, with officials reviewing what is already being done, where gaps remain, and what urgent actions are needed to strengthen the national response. Participants also examined critical data gaps that continue to affect planning and decision-making, and discussed ways to improve coordination between government agencies and partners. Nutrition trends and early warning indicators were a key concern, with officials warning that vulnerability is increasing across many arid and semi-arid areas.
The meeting agreed to fast-track the Nutrition SMART Survey, which is expected to provide timely data to guide nutrition and humanitarian interventions in drought-affected regions.Participants also resolved to establish an electronic drought response dashboard to allow real-time tracking of interventions, improve coordination, support data-driven decisions, and strengthen accountability across the response system.
The officials also noted that the ongoing Food and Nutrition Security Assessment, coordinated by NDMA, will provide updated estimates of populations in need of food assistance and livelihood support, a critical step in ensuring interventions are timely, targeted and effective.
Officials said the technical meeting was aimed at ensuring that decisions made at high-level forums are translated into practical, coordinated action on the ground, especially in counties facing worsening drought conditions.
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