Prolonged drought in Garissa County is tightening its grip on residents, disrupting livelihoods and driving up the cost of basic commodities, with milk vendors among the hardest hit.
At Soko Ng’ombe market, rows of empty yellow jerrycans now tell a story of deepening scarcity as traders wait anxiously for milk deliveries that often arrive late—or not at all. Milk that was once sourced from nearby areas is now transported from distant locations such as Holugho, Balambala and Dadaab, nearly 300 kilometres away, after herders migrated in search of pasture and water.
The long distances and harsh weather conditions have made supplies unpredictable. Vendors say milk frequently reaches the market late in the day, sometimes already spoiled, forcing traders to absorb the losses. “We wait the whole day not knowing whether the milk will come. Sometimes it arrives in the evening when it is already spoilt. That is a total loss for us,” said Ambiya Hussein.
Garissa’s economy relies heavily on livestock, with about 80 per cent of residents depending on animals and their products for income. However, successive failed rainy seasons have drastically reduced milk production, affecting both pastoralist families and urban traders. Vendors say herders now produce barely enough milk for household use, leaving little for sale.
As a result, prices have surged in recent months. A litre of cow milk that previously sold for about Sh100 now goes for up to Sh150, while goat milk—once widely available and central to local diets—has become scarce, fetching as much as Sh200 per litre when available.
Despite higher prices, traders say profits have shrunk due to dwindling supplies and rising costs. Many vendors rely on daily sales to meet basic household needs, and a single day without milk means no income at all. Older women, who have depended on the trade for decades, say they now risk losing their only source of livelihood.
“There is no other work we can do,” said Fatuma Mohamed. “This has always been our lifeline.”
On Tuesday, the government activated its drought response mechanism to cushion vulnerable communities in arid and semi-arid lands. Speaking in Garissa, County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo said water trucking and relief food assistance were part of a wider national response.
The National Drought Management Authority has classified Mandera County in the alarm phase, while Garissa and several other counties are in the alert phase, with conditions worsening.
