Mandera County has proposed a raft of urgent interventions to cushion vulnerable households as drought conditions continue to worsen, threatening livelihoods, food security and essential services across the county.
The recommendations were made during a high-level meeting of the Mandera County Steering Group, which assessed the evolving drought situation and agreed on priority actions spanning food security, water, livestock, health, education and early warning systems.
At the centre of the proposed response is the scaling up of cash transfers to support the most vulnerable households, alongside the pre-positioning of food and non-food items to ensure timely humanitarian response should conditions deteriorate further.
To address acute water shortages, the Steering Group called for an expansion of water trucking for both domestic use and livestock, the rehabilitation and equipping of strategic and emergency boreholes, and the provision of fuel support for government water bowsers. The deployment of additional community water storage facilities was also recommended to improve access in hard-hit areas.
Livestock-based livelihoods, which form the backbone of Mandera’s economy, are set to receive targeted support through emergency livestock feeds, targeted slaughter destocking, and the scaling up of veterinary services, including the supply of essential drugs and vaccines to prevent disease outbreaks.
Recognising the heightened risk of conflict during drought periods, the Steering Group further recommended strengthening early warning and peacebuilding mechanisms, with a focus on community-level engagement and cross-border dialogue to prevent resource-based tensions.
The meeting brought together key national and county leaders, including Mandera Governor Mohamed Khalif, County Commissioner Charles Chacha, and Hared Hassan, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Drought Management Authority, alongside other development and humanitarian partners.
County officials said the proposed measures are aimed at safeguarding lives and livelihoods while strengthening Mandera’s preparedness and resilience in the face of increasingly frequent and severe droughts.