Pastoralist Members of Parliament have called on the Government of Kenya to urgently declare the ongoing drought a national disaster, warning that the crisis unfolding across the country’s drylands has escalated beyond seasonal hardship into a full-blown humanitarian and economic emergency.
Speaking in Parliament this week, lawmakers from the Pastoralist Parliamentary Group (PPG) said communities in arid and semi-arid lands are experiencing devastating losses, including depleted pasture, dried-up water sources, collapsing livestock markets, and rising livestock deaths.
Dr Jarso Mokku, Chief Executive Officer of the Drylands Learning & Capacity Building Initiative, echoed the caucus’s concerns, noting that the scale and intensity of the drought demand immediate, coordinated national intervention.
The lawmakers warned that without decisive intervention, the situation will deteriorate further, putting both lives and livelihoods at grave risk.
They stressed that county governments, many already strained by limited resources, cannot manage the crisis alone and require urgent financial and logistical backing from the national government.
The PPG specifically urged the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), the National Treasury, and relevant ministries to immediately activate emergency response mechanisms and release drought contingency funds to affected counties.
According to the MPs, a formal national disaster declaration would unlock the scale of resources and coordination necessary to protect vulnerable households, safeguard livestock assets, and stabilize local economies that heavily depend on pastoralism.
Across Kenya’s drylands, pastoralist communities rely almost entirely on livestock for food, income, and social stability.
As grazing lands shrink and water points dry up, herders are being forced to travel longer distances in search of pasture, increasing the risk of conflict and further economic disruption.
The caucus pledged to continue engaging both national and county governments, development partners, and local leaders to ensure the necessary measures are taken.
Lawmakers emphasised that no pastoralist household, and no livestock asset, should be lost to preventable drought impacts.
With forecasts indicating prolonged dry conditions in several arid counties, pressure is now mounting on the national government to respond decisively before the crisis deepens further.