Kenya’s Drought Crisis: Northern Herders Cross Into Tanzania for Water and Pasture | ICPAC
Across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands, drought conditions are intensifying after one of the driest rainy seasons in decades. Local officials and relief workers say lakes, rivers, and grazing lands have dried up, leaving livestock weak and communities scrambling.
In Kajiado County near the Tanzania border, Maasai herders report losing hundreds of cattle and goats as pastures vanish. A local administrator told Reuters that some groups have crossed south into Tanzania to find water and feed for their animals.
Animals that once fetched tens of thousands of Kenyan shillings are now being sold for a fraction of their earlier value as families try to buy feed and stave off total herd losses.
Twenty-three counties across Kenya are now showing drought stress, with Mandera County in critical condition and others in alert phases, according to the National Drought Management Authority. Water points are shrinking and food insecurity is rising.
Government and humanitarian partners have begun emergency measures such as food distribution and water trucking, but long-term weather forecasts point to continued below-average rainfall into the early 2026 dry season.
