The Kenya Cash Consortium (KCC), led by Acted, is implementing a six-month project to provide unconditional cash transfers to 75,252 drought-affected people in Samburu and Tana River Counties. Supported by the OCHA-managed Eastern and Southern Africa Humanitarian Fund (ESAHF) and running from April to September 2026, the project addresses acute food insecurity in communities where livelihoods have been severely disrupted by prolonged drought.
In Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands, severe drought, widespread crop failure and soaring food prices have left households unable to meet their basic food needs and have negatively impacted local markets, pushing communities into severe levels of food insecurity. Unconditional cash transfers enable families to access food immediately while supporting local traders to keep their businesses running and preserving household dignity and choice.
Project implementation
The project targets households facing emergency levels of food insecurity through the delivery of assistance through mobile money to ensure rapid disbursement. Implementation is carried out through established local partners with strong community presence: Strategies for Northern Development in Samburu, and Arid Lands Development Focus and Pastoralist Girls Initiative in Tana River. These organisations identify beneficiaries, conduct registration and engage with communities throughout implementation. Acted coordinates cash transfers centrally from Nairobi, managing verification, disbursement, monitoring and accountability systems.
This response builds on the KCC’s operational framework, where cash assistance has been delivered in Kenya continuously since 2019 with support from DG ECHO. Through this model, over 75% of funding is channelled through Kenyan organisations that are members of the ASAL Humanitarian Network, enabling rapid scale-up while maintaining quality and accountability through established systems and partnerships.
Expected outcomes
The project aims to prevent further deterioration of food security among acutely food-insecure households, provide immediate relief and support household resilience during a critical period of need. It represents an important humanitarian response in areas facing severe drought conditions.