North Horr MP Hon. Adhe Guyo has called on the government to implement sustainable solutions to alleviate the devastating impacts of recurring drought and hunger in northern Kenya. 

Addressing the National Assembly on 17th October 2024, Hon. Guyo highlighted the dire situation faced by his constituents, which spans 39,000 square kilometers – an area one-and-a-half times the size of Rwanda. He noted that North Horr, along with other ASAL regions, had been hit hard by recent droughts, leading to the loss of 2.6 million livestock valued at Ksh226 billion. “The northern region of Kenya is highly susceptible to the vagaries of climate change. Lives were lost, and communities lost over 90 percent of their livestock. Malnutrition rates have tripled the global average,” Hon. Guyo said. 

The North Horr legislator attributed the persistent crisis to a lack of long-term planning and proactive government intervention, urging the Departmental Committees on Agriculture and Livestock, and on Regional Development, to prioritize food security in ASALs. Despite the recent rains, he noted, “the population in North Horr Constituency still faces a life-threatening food crisis, with minimal and intermittent Government support through relief food.” 

Hon. Guyo questioned why substantial resources were allocated to short-term relief food efforts rather than sustainable food security programs. He emphasized the need for long-term, measurable, and technology-driven solutions to break the cycle of dependency. “We must move away from reactive relief efforts to specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound programs,” he argued. 

In his request for statement, Hon. Guyo sought clarity on the implementation status of the Northern Kenya Development Plan. He pointed out that, despite this plan’s existence, ASAL regions continue to face unmitigated food insecurity and climate-induced disasters. "Communities in ASALs should not be trapped in a dependency loop when technology and sustainable practices could empower them with lasting food security and resilience," he added. 

Hon. Guyo also sought an explanation as to why the Government allocates substantial resources for relief food annually, but minimal or no resources for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (SMART) food security programmes in the ASALs of Kenya. 

“We need to know the reasons why ASAL regions of Kenya remain vulnerable to climate change effects despite numerous national plans, including a report on the implementation status of the Northern Kenya Development Plan,” said the North Horr lawmaker.