By Staff Reporter | Wajir Today | Friday, 5 December 2025

Wajir County is grappling with a drought crisis months ahead of the usual dry season, with livestock already too weak to reach watering points and families struggling to cope, Governor Ahmed Abdullahi warned on Thursday.

Speaking at the conclusion of a four-day revenue enhancement training for county staff, Abdullahi, who also chairs the Council of Governors, said the early onset of the dry spell signals a harsher season than in previous years.

“We normally start feeling the real heat in mid-January, but now we are in early December, and the situation is already alarming,” Abdullahi said. “It will only get worse.”

The crisis has been driven by the failure of three consecutive rainy seasons, the October–December 2024 rains, followed by the complete failure of the March–May and October–December 2025 seasons.

The cumulative effect has left water sources depleted, disrupted livelihoods, and pushed communities to the brink.

In response, Abdullahi said he would chair a County Steering Group meeting to bring together all relevant departments and stakeholders.

Each department will be required to outline its preparedness, ongoing interventions, and plans for the remainder of the dry season.

Abdullahi also urged key sectors including water, health, livestock, and decentralized units to intensify their efforts and improve coordination.

He stressed that emergency resources must reach the most vulnerable communities rather than individuals with the means to secure water privately.

“For example, if a whole village that depends on a water pan has no water, and then someone who can afford to buy his own truck of water to save his 500 cows is prioritised, that is not right,” Abdullahi said. “This should be about saving the livelihood of the common man.”

The warning comes a day after Members of Parliament from northern Kenya called on the national government to declare the drought a national disaster.