Drought cripples livestock sector

Livestock trader Ibrahim Yussuf 

Wajir livestock farmers and traders are grappling with a livelihood crisis as a prolonged dry spell has devastated the sector, pushing households to the brink of survival.

The calamity has been caused by the failure of three consecutive rainfall seasons—the October-December 2024 rains, followed by the failed March-May and the October-December 2025 seasons.

At Qorahey market in the heart of Wajir town, once a vibrant hub of livestock trade, business has slowed to a crawl.

In an interview at the market, veteran livestock trader Muhumed Mumin said he has never witnessed any drought as devastating as the current one in his 30 years in the business.

Mumin, who has traded livestock at the market for years, says the business no longer can sustain his family.

His daily earnings have fallen sharply over three months, from more than Sh1,000 on a good day to as little as Sh300.

He stands leaning on a walking stick, watching over emaciated goats tethered nearby—animals that now fetch a fraction of their former value.

“This business no longer can keep our family afloat,” Mumin said in frustration.

“It is a complete waste of time. Can someone with eight or nine children survive on Sh300 a day? Life has become very hard.”

Goats that once sold for as much as Sh7,000 are now going for as little as Sh2,500, the lowest prices since the last major drought in Wajir.

Traders say weak animals, poor market demand and rising competition have combined to erode profits.

Osman Hussein, another long-time trader, spent nearly five decades in the livestock business and says the situation has deteriorated rapidly.

“Livestock are weak and prices are down. People who depend on this market are really in danger,” he said.

Osman said the economic strain has forced many women—traditionally housewives in the conservative community—to join the market in search of income.

“The women who were supposed to be at home are now here competing with us for survival. That shows how bad the situation is,” he said.

Former housewife Ahatha Muhumed turned to livestock trading to support her family but falling prices have wiped out her profit margins.

“A she-goat that used to sell for about Sh7,000 now goes for between Sh3,500 and Sh4,000,” she told the Star.

“Sometimes we go home without a single shilling.”

The traders’ challenges mirror a broader humanitarian crisis unfolding across the county and region.

The National Drought Management Authority said Wajir is among several counties placed on alert status due to worsening drought conditions.

The authority estimates 174,200 people require urgent food assistance as hunger and malnutrition rise.

Livestock, the backbone of the economy, are suffering from severe forage shortages, weakened physical condition and increased mortality rates.

In December last year, MPs from Asal regions urged the national government to declare the drought a national disaster, citing rising distress among pastoralist communities.

The MPs, led by Eldas MP Adan Keynan, who chairs the Northern Kenya Parliamentary Group, said declaring a national disaster would unlock emergency funding, streamline humanitarian support and enable international partners to scale up interventions.