Samburu County secondary schools have received emergency relief food supplies from the national government to support students during the worsening drought crisis.

The intervention aims to ensure learners remain in school despite the growing food insecurity affecting the region.

Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture and Children Services, Hanna Wendot Cheptumo, flagged off the distribution on January 23, 2026, covering day mixed secondary schools across the county’s four constituencies.

The government is responding decisively to the ongoing drought by supporting children in school and enhancing school retention across Samburu County.

“The Government is responding decisively to the ongoing drought by supporting children in school and enhancing school retention across Samburu County. I flagged off the distribution of relief food supplies to Day Mixed Secondary Schools in the four constituencies in Samburu County.”

The relief food distributed consisted of 714 bags of maize (50 kg each), 139 bags of beans (90 kg each), 28 bags of cowpeas (90 kg each), and 45 cans of cooking oil (20 litres each). The intervention is part of the government’s broader commitment to safeguarding children’s right to education during emergencies.

“The relief food distributed includes 714 bags of maize (50 kg each), 139 bags of beans (90 kg each), 28 bags of cowpeas (90 kg each), and 45 cans of cooking oil (20 litres each). This intervention forms part of the Government’s broader commitment to safeguarding children’s right to education during emergencies,” Cheptumo said.

Addressing hunger-driven risks

The supplies aim to tackle hunger-driven challenges that force students out of school, particularly in arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL).

Prolonged dry spells and failed short rains have left many families without sufficient food, prompting children to skip classes to support household survival.

Samburu is among the counties currently facing acute food shortages, with reports of increased absenteeism, low enrollment, and higher dropout rates among students in affected areas.

In northern Kenya, counties such as Samburu, Marsabit, and Turkana have seen children leave school to search for water or assist families with livestock herding. The provision of food at school is intended to reduce these pressures and keep learners engaged in their studies despite ongoing hardships.

This food distribution is part of broader emergency education support programs targeting ASAL counties.