Members of Parliament have pressed the Government to clarify measures taken to address the worsening drought situation in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), even as the State said over 3.3 million people are facing food insecurity across Kenya.

Wajir West MP, Hon. Yussuf Farah sought an update from the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes, Hon. Geoffrey Ruku, on the status of the drought, relief interventions, and accountability in distribution.

Responding before the National Assembly, Mr Ruku painted a sobering picture of expanding hunger and livestock losses across Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Isiolo, and Samburu Counties.

“Kenya is currently experiencing worsening drought conditions driven by persistent hot and dry weather and below-average rainfall across consecutive seasons,” the CS said, noting that vulnerable groups such as children, women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities were hardest hit.

He revealed that Mandera, Wajir, Kwale, and Kilifi are in the alarm phase, while Garissa, Tana River, Isiolo, Marsabit, Kajiado, Kitui, Lamu, Samburu, Taita Taveta, Tharaka Nithi, Turkana, and Baringo remain in the alert phase.

To cushion affected families, the Government has rolled out a KSh 9 billion drought-response programme, with KSh 8.5 billion allocated for emergency food assistance and KSh 500 million for livestock feeds. According to the CS, relief food has been dispatched to all affected counties following assessments by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) and partners.

“The NDMA is also implementing a cash-transfer programme in Mandera, Wajir, Turkana, Marsabit, Garissa, Isiolo, Samburu, and Tana River, reaching approximately 132,000 households,” he told MPs.

Hon. Farah pressed for assurances that relief aid was reaching deserving households. In response, Mr Ruku outlined strict accountability measures, including the participation of County Steering Groups and Relief Distribution Committees, active involvement of MPs and local leaders, and mandatory county-level reporting.

“These measures ensure that relief assistance is traceable, auditable, and equitable,” he said.

On whether the Government would declare the drought a national disaster, Mr Ruku said the situation had not yet met the policy threshold, though “heightened vigilance” was being maintained. He assured MPs that a declaration would be made immediately should the conditions warrant escalation.

The CS also highlighted long-term resilience strategies such as integrating drought risk management into county development plans, expanding water infrastructure like dams and boreholes, strengthening early-warning systems, and linking social-protection programmes to drought response.

“Emergency relief alone cannot break the cycle of drought vulnerability. We must shift from relief dependency to resilience building and self-reliance,” he stated.

However, he lamented delays in passing the Disaster Risk Management Bill, inadequate staffing, and limited funding that have slowed relief and recovery operations.

“Addressing these challenges will require strong collaboration between the Executive and Parliament,” he appealed, pledging continued coordination to safeguard lives and livelihoods in the ASAL region.