The Cabinet authorised the release of Sh4.1 billion to scale up drought response interventions in affected parts of the country as conditions continue to deteriorate following the failure of the October–December 2025 short rains.
Briefing the Cabinet, officials reported that drought conditions have worsened rapidly since January 2026, with an estimated 3.3 million people currently facing acute food insecurity.
The number could rise to 3.6 million by June 2026 if urgent interventions are not undertaken, including in pockets of counties outside the traditional arid and semi-arid regions.
Mandera, Wajir, Kwale and Kilifi counties are currently classified in the Alarm phase, while 12 other counties are in the Alert phase, most of them on a worsening trajectory.
Acute malnutrition continues to rise, with more than 810,000 children and about 104,000 pregnant and lactating women affected, alongside other vulnerable groups.
The additional funding will supplement allocations made in December 2025 and January 2026, which supported relief food supplies, logistics and limited non-food assistance.
However, Cabinet was informed that existing food stocks are expected to last only two to three weeks, underscoring the urgency of enhanced support.
Cabinet also raised concern over deteriorating livestock conditions marked by increased livestock deaths and distress sales, rising incidents of human-wildlife conflict, and the risk of the situation escalating into an emergency phase if timely action is not taken.
In the same meeting, Cabinet endorsed the 2026/27 Financial Year Budget amounting to Sh4.7 trillion.
The Budget projects total revenues of Sh3.53 trillion against total expenditure of Sh4.7 trillion.
Expenditure allocations include Sh3.46 trillion for recurrent spending, Sh749.5 billion for development expenditure, Sh495.7 billion in transfers to county governments, and Sh2 billion set aside for the Contingency Fund.
Under the Division of Revenue Bill, 2026, county governments will receive Sh420 billion as an equitable share, representing 21.9 per cent of the most recent audited revenue in line with constitutional requirements.
An additional Sh15.2 billion has been allocated to the Equalisation Fund.
Further, the County Governments Additional Allocation Bill, 2026, proposes an extra Sh75.7 billion for counties, bringing total transfers to county governments in the 2026/27 financial year to Sh495.7 billion.
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