The Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has questioned the Marsabit County Government over stalled projects, delayed donor disbursements and the overall pace of the Drought Resilience Programme in Northern Kenya. The session, chaired by Senator David Wakoli of Bungoma, focused on financial accountability, project implementation and the long term impact of the multiyear programme on food security in the region.
Marsabit Governor Mohamud Ali, represented by County Project Coordinator Patrick Wambua Nthenge, presented detailed records covering budgets, expenditures, beneficiary identification and compliance with donor obligations. The documents show that between the 2022 23 and 2024 25 financial years, the programme received Ksh 195 million despite a cumulative allocation of Ksh 1.19 billion. Actual expenditure was reported at Ksh 171.5 million.
The County attributed the significant gap between allocations and actual cash inflows to delays in donor disbursements. Officials explained that these delays were partly linked to the late passage of the County Governments Additional Allocation Act, which slowed access to expected funds.
The Committee also heard that Marsabit has been aligning its agriculture budget with the priorities of the resilience programme. County funded initiatives such as livestock vaccination, mechanization services and certified seed distribution have been layered onto the programme’s clusters to reinforce climate resilience. These efforts were reported to complement activities funded under the programme, including rangeland rehabilitation, water infrastructure projects, fodder development and livestock health interventions.
On project performance, the County disclosed that 45 projects were planned under the first two Annual Investment Plans. Sixteen have been completed, fifteen are ongoing and fourteen have not begun due to delayed funding. Preparations for the third investment plan, covering the 2026 27 financial year, are underway. Senators sought assurances that pending projects would be accelerated once funding flows stabilise.
Governor Ali also described the community based methods used to select priority interventions across Moyale, Saku, North Horr, Laisamis and Loiyangalani. These interventions were identified through participatory planning forums. While the Committee had requested a detailed list of individual beneficiaries, the County clarified that most investments involve public goods such as water systems, which serve entire communities. However, targeted groups such as Karbururi Women Group with 44 members and Hellem Self Help Group with 61 members were listed with full documentation provided according to donor requirements.
The County defended its compliance with legal and donor conditions, noting that it has met the annual Ksh 15 million counterpart funding requirement, submitted all required work plans for approval, followed procurement regulations under the PPDA Act and KfW rules and undergone audits by the Office of the Auditor General. The Governor pointed to delays in onboarding the Implementation Support Consultant and lengthy no objection procurement processes as major hurdles but assured the Senate that these challenges are currently being addressed.
