Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has stepped in to avert a humanitarian disaster in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), announcing the immediate mobilization of food and non-food essentials to communities ravaged by the failure of the short rains.

The intervention follows reports from Mandera and Wajir where over 20,000 livestock have died in weeks. Kindiki, speaking from his Harambee Annex office, declared that "no Kenyan will die of hunger under our watch," a promise that will be tested by the severity of the drought.

The Relief Package

The government is releasing maize, beans, and cooking oil from the Strategic Food Reserve. Crucially, Kindiki also announced a livestock offtake program.

• Meat for Cash: The Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) will buy emaciated cattle from herders before they die, slaughtering them for relief meat. It is a way to put cash in pockets while salvaging protein.
• Water Tracking: The military (KDF) has been tasked with drilling boreholes and trucking water to schools and dispensaries in the deep interior.
• School Feeding: To keep children in class, the school feeding program in ASAL counties will be doubled. "We cannot have children fainting in class," Kindiki noted.

A Race Against Time

The Meteorological Department predicts dry conditions until March. Kindiki’s move is a stop-gap. The long-term question remains: how does Kenya climate-proof its most vulnerable citizens against a cycle of perennial thirst?