The national government, in partnership with the county governments, has agreed on long–term measures to respond to the drought situations in most parts of the country.

According to Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Sen. Mutahi Kagwe, these terms include the re-programming of key World Bank–funded agriculture projects to prioritize immediate relief while laying foundations for lasting resilience.

The CS was speaking at Malindi in Kilifi County after meeting with the Council of Governors (CoG) Agriculture Committee and the ASAL Governors Caucus, and according to him, the drought response will be treated as an all-of-government approach, with livestock, crops and human livelihoods addressed as one interconnected system.

The meeting centered on the Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP) and the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP).

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Currently, the FSRP is active in 13 counties hardest hit by drought, while the NAVCDP operates across the other 34 counties. Together, these initiatives aim to provide urgent relief while building sustainable agricultural growth.

Kagwe emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that the two initiatives must be adjusted to address the immediate drought while developing lasting strategies to prevent future emergencies.

“We sit at a critical point where we must reprogramme these two programmes to respond to the current drought reality, while also putting in place permanent solutions to avert future crises,” CS Kagwe said.

Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka, who was present in the meeting and heads the Council of Governors’ Agriculture Committee, emphasized a move away from “business as usual.”

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He stated that funds previously earmarked for capacity building would be redirected, asserting that recurrent expenditures will no longer be allowed to drain vital project resources.

“Capacity-building funds must re-allocate. Going forward, resources will no longer be absorbed by recurrent expenditure,” Lusaka said.

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Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe speaking in Malindi after meeting with the Council of Governors’ (CoG) Agriculture Committee and the ASAL Governors Caucus on December 17, 2025.