Cash Transfer Initiative Reaches Over 63,000 Drought-Affected Residents in Kenya

A humanitarian cash assistance program delivered across Kenya's Tana River and Samburu counties has reached 12,542 households to help mitigate severe food insecurity following consecutive failed rainy seasons between 2023 and 2026.

The intervention is led by Acted under the Kenya Cash Consortium and supported by the Kenya Humanitarian Fund, which is managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The program was implemented in collaboration with local organizations, including Arid and Development Focus (ALDEF), Pastoralists Girls Initiative (PGI), and SND, alongside Kenya's National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) and county governments.

Tana River County, where residents rely primarily on small-scale farming and pastoralism, has experienced prolonged dry conditions that devastated crops and diminished household incomes. Through three rounds of unconditional cash transfers, the initiative aims to stabilize acutely food-insecure populations and prevent further deterioration of living conditions.

According to ALDEF Project Lead Mohamed Turane, beneficiary targeting relied on an enhanced single registry and clear vulnerability criteria. Raphael Wachira, a project officer at PGI, stated that community-led verification committees comprising local representatives were utilized alongside government safety net data to verify recipient eligibility.

Beneficiaries received direct cash transfers on their mobile phones, including disbursements such as KSh 6,549 (approximately EUR 44). Recipients reported utilizing the funds to purchase food, invest in agricultural inputs like seeds for green grams, restock livestock and small businesses, clear debts, and cover educational expenses such as school fees.

In total, the cash-based assistance reached more than 63,000 individuals across the target counties. Project organizers noted that distributing cash rather than direct physical supplies was intended to provide recipients with the flexibility to address their most urgent household needs while stimulating local market activity.

Source