By our correspondent | Wajir Today | Tuesday, 6 January 2026
Mandera County has been pushed into a full-blown drought emergency, with more than 335,000 people now in need of humanitarian assistance, Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif has warned on Tuesday.
In a press statement, the Governor said the situation in the county remains critical and confirmed that Mandera is currently classified in the alarm drought phase, with conditions continuing to deteriorate.
“The drought situation in Mandera County remains critical, with the county currently classified in the alarm drought phase, with a worsening trend,” Governor Khalif said.
He attributed the crisis to consecutive seasons of below-average rainfall, which have severely affected pasture regeneration and water availability across the county.
“These conditions have significantly constrained the regeneration of pasture and water resources across the county,” he said.
As a result, livestock are being forced to trek longer distances in search of water and pasture, leading to poor body condition and reduced milk production.
“This has weakened household purchasing power and undermined food and nutrition security,” the Governor said, adding that the most affected are children under five, pregnant and lactating women, older persons and persons with disabilities.
The drought has also triggered livestock migration within Mandera and into neighbouring Wajir County, raising concerns over rising pressure on limited resources and the risk of conflict.
“Livestock migration within Mandera County and into neighbouring Wajir County has been reported, increasing pressure on limited resources and heightening the risk of resource-based conflict,” the statement said.
In response to the escalating crisis, Governor Khalif convened a County Steering Group meeting on Tuesday morning, bringing together senior national and county officials, humanitarian agencies and development partners.
The meeting was attended by County Commissioner Charles Chacha, NDMA CEO Lt Col (Rtd) Hared Adan, County Secretary Billow Issack Hassan, Lafey Ward MCA Adan Hussein, County Executive Committee Members, technical departments, and representatives from humanitarian partners. The World Food Programme (WFP) teams from Wajir and Nairobi joined the meeting virtually.
According to the Governor, the meeting “reaffirmed the commitment of both levels of Government to safeguard lives and livelihoods”.
He said the County and National Governments, working closely with partners, are rolling out a coordinated drought response package across Mandera.
Key among the interventions is water trucking to 266 sites, including 203 domestic sites and 63 livestock sites, using 33 water bowsers operated by the County Government.
The county has also embarked on emergency borehole programmes.
“So far 39 boreholes have been drilled. 24 of these have been equipped and are operational, while the remaining 15 are currently being equipped by the County Government and partners,” Governor Khalif said.
In addition, the County Government has initiated food distribution to 67,000 households across the county.
Health and nutrition interventions are underway, including integrated health, nutrition and WASH outreaches, mass nutrition screening and disease surveillance led by the County Government and partners.
Livestock support measures include vaccination and treatment programmes implemented by the County Government and RACIDA.
RACIDA, with support from the State Department (OFA), DKH and ACTED, is targeting 7,943 households with cash transfers amounting to KSh 68,174,981.
The Governor further announced the initiation of livestock feed and water interventions under World Bank–supported programmes, through which the county will access KSh 20 million to supply crop residues as livestock fodder under a revolving fund mechanism.
Warning of worsening risks, Governor Khalif said: “If current conditions persist, Mandera County faces increased risks of livelihood asset depletion, worsening malnutrition, and heightened competition over scarce water and pasture resources.”
