Climate Shocks Exert Pressure on Nyeri County Farmers and Herders

Kenya, 27 October 2026 - October, widely recognised as a time to raise awareness about mental health in some communities, offers an opportunity to spotlight the often-overlooked emotional toll of climate change on farmers and herders.

In Kenya’s agricultural heartlands, unpredictable weather, declining yields and mounting financial losses are taking a toll not only on livelihoods but also on farmers’ mental well-being.

October provides an opportunity to reflect on mental health and draw attention to the often-overlooked psychological effects of climate change on farmers. In Kenya’s agricultural heartlands, shifting weather patterns, declining crop yields and mounting financial losses are threatening not only livelihoods but also farmers’ mental well-being.

In Kenya’s Central region, Nyeri County, which is widely regarded as one of the country’s food baskets, changing weather patterns are disrupting farming activities and putting farmers under increasing pressure.

In Mathira Sub-County, coffee farmer Ms Josphine Kihu has witnessed these changes first-hand over her three decades in farming.

“When we started farming, there were no major challenges in coffee production,” she recalls.

Around 2000, however, weather patterns began to shift, affecting coffee production. For farmers who depend on selling their coffee by the kilogram, lower yields translate directly into reduced incomes.

By 2005, prolonged periods of sunshine had begun disrupting familiar farming seasons. The coffee variety Josphine had planted was particularly vulnerable, with the berries turning black before maturity. The losses continued for three consecutive years, prompting her to switch to a more resilient variety.

Coffee production relies on seasonal patterns that influence flowering and harvesting, but these cycles have become increasingly unpredictable.

“We have also experienced long cold months, which is not good for coffee, as it requires some warm period favourable for flowering,” she notes.

These changing conditions come at a financial cost to farmers, who invest heavily in their crops without any guarantee of a return.

“What mostly affects a farmer is counting losses after the heavy investment. This includes land preparation, fertilizer, pesticides and fungicides,” she says.

Josphine says unpredictable weather has also affected farmers’ mental well-being, although some may struggle to identify the cause of their distress.

“While others may know what’s ailing them, accessing mental health support is very costly, considering the low income for farmers,” she adds.

To cope with the changing conditions, Josphine has adapted by switching to crop varieties that can better withstand different weather patterns.

At Kiawara, in Kieni Sub-County, livestock farmer Mr Charles Ndung’u, who has kept animals for more than two decades, says goat farming was traditionally a dependable source of income despite the area’s semi-arid conditions.

“We have always had some dry seasons, but goats have always survived because they’re a bit resilient, but it has been getting worse over time,” he says.

The rains experienced in March did not produce enough pasture to sustain his animals through the prolonged dry spell. The shortage was further compounded by a livestock disease outbreak in June, after which Ndung’u began recording significant losses.

By July, the situation had deteriorated, with some goats becoming too weak to stand. He says he lost 40 goats in three months.