By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, 21 May 2026 - The State Department for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) and Regional Development is seeking billions of shillings in additional funding after budget cuts of more than Sh500 million threatened key drought mitigation, irrigation and food security programmes across vulnerable regions.
Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Regional Development on Wednesday, Principal Secretary Kello Harsama warned that reduced allocations could cripple essential services targeting millions of Kenyans living in arid and semi-arid areas.
The department’s allocation dropped from Sh11.267 billion under the 2026 Budget Policy Statement to Sh10.287 billion in the annual estimates, with recurrent expenditure reduced by Sh150 million and development funding slashed by Sh352 million.
“The reduction further worsens an already constrained budget and directly undermines our ability to deliver essential services to communities living in ASAL regions,” Mr Harsama told the committee chaired by Sigor MP Peter Lokachapong.
“These are not ordinary programmes. We are dealing with drought response, water access, irrigation infrastructure, food security interventions, peacebuilding initiatives, and livelihoods for millions of Kenyans living in vulnerable regions. Any reduction in funding has immediate consequences on people’s lives,” he added.
The PS accused the National Treasury of frustrating implementation of programmes transferred to the department through presidential executive orders, urging Parliament to summon Treasury officials for an explanation.
“I want this Committee to summon the Principal Secretary to the National Treasury to explain why Treasury is failing to comply with the Presidential Executive Order that created and transferred some of these functions to our department,” he said.
“It is difficult for us to understand how an agency can be established through a Presidential Executive Order but denied the operational resources needed to function.”
Among agencies hardest hit by the cuts is the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), whose recurrent allocation was reduced by more than Sh154 million.
Regional development authorities including the Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA), Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA), Ewaso Ng’iro North Development Authority (ENNDA) and the Coast Development Authority (CDA) also suffered major reductions.
Mr Harsama told MPs that the department’s headquarters operations were facing a funding deficit of Sh417 million, affecting monitoring and evaluation, ICT infrastructure, GIS data collection and administrative operations.
The department is also seeking an additional Sh240 million to operationalise the North and Northern Kenya Development Initiative (NEDI), whose functions were transferred through Executive Order No.1 of 2025 without corresponding funding.
“Parliament approved the Executive Order and the functions were formally transferred. However, the resources did not follow the function,” the PS said.
The ministry further appealed for Sh2.4 billion to roll out the ATEKER Integrated Development Programme targeting border communities in Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
According to the PS, the programme aims to address insecurity, cattle rustling, illicit arms proliferation and competition over scarce natural resources.
“We cannot talk about sustainable development in Northern Kenya without investing in peace and regional integration. The ATEKER programme is not just a development project; it is a security and stability intervention for the entire region,” he said.
The committee heard that seven semi-autonomous government agencies under the department are facing personnel funding shortages amounting to more than Sh602 million.
TARDA alone requires an additional Sh214.8 million for salaries while the Kerio Valley Development Authority is facing a deficit of Sh141.2 million.
Officials warned that failure to address the shortfalls could trigger labour disputes, litigation and operational paralysis.
The Hunger Safety Net Programme, which supports vulnerable households in ASAL counties, is also facing a major funding gap.
The programme requires Sh8.97 billion but has only been allocated Sh4.27 billion, leaving a deficit of Sh4.7 billion.
“This programme is a lifeline for vulnerable families in drought-prone areas. If we fail to adequately finance it, we risk reversing years of gains made in adaptive social protection and drought resilience,” Mr Harsama warned.
The Kenya Drought Early Warning System, which monitors drought conditions in 32 ASAL counties, is similarly facing a Sh12 million shortfall.
Several projects linked to the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) are also at risk, including the Northern Kenya Integrated Camel Development Programme, Tana Delta Rice Irrigation Project and the Ewaso Ng’iro Leather Factory project.
The State Department disclosed that 34 ongoing development projects worth Sh6.57 billion received no funding because of Treasury budget ceilings.
“These are projects that directly support livelihoods through irrigation, water supply, climate resilience, market access, and food production,” the PS said.
The department and its agencies are also struggling with pending bills amounting to Sh11.5 billion, with LBDA accounting for Sh9.5 billion.
Committee chairperson Mr Lokachapong acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns and assured the department that MPs would review the submissions before making recommendations to the Budget and Appropriations Committee.
“Our goal is to ensure that critical programmes affecting wananchi are not crippled by inadequate funding,” he said.
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