Kenya’s Drylands Are the Future of Farming. But Whose Future?

When you hear “Garissa”, “Turkana” or “Marsabit”, what comes to mind? For most people, it’s drought. Dusty ground, thin cattle, relief trucks.

But what if the drylands are actually where Kenya’s farming future is being decided?

That’s the argument in a Talk Africa piece from last week. And honestly, the numbers make it hard to argue with.

Why the drylands can’t be ignored

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, about 84% of Kenya’s land is arid or semi-arid. These areas are also home to about 80% of the country’s livestock. In other words, the drylands aren’t on the edge of our food system. They are a huge part of it.

At a meeting in Nairobi this month, ICRISAT, an international dryland farming research centre, sat down with Kenyan officials, universities and research partners. Principal Secretary for Higher Education and Research Dr Beatrice Muganda Inyangala put it plainly: dryland agriculture is “not agriculture at the margins.” She called for Garissa University and Tharaka University to become centres of excellence, and for more training links with India.

The plans on the table include drought-tolerant crops, better seed systems, water-efficient farming, digital tools, and stronger post-harvest handling and value addition.

So is this the new trend?

In a way, yes. Climate change is pushing everyone to look at drylands differently. Researchers, investors, and governments are all paying attention.

But trends have a habit of arriving from the top. Conferences, partnerships, research centres, funding announcements. And the people who have farmed and herded in these lands for generations? Too often, they hear about the “future of agriculture” after the decisions are made.

The article itself makes a fair point: a drought-tolerant crop is worthless if farmers can’t get the seed, don’t know how to use it, or can’t sell what they grow. That is exactly where most good ideas die.

Do we have a good shot? Yes, if we do it right

I believe we do, because I’ve already seen what works. At Izera Ranch in Taita Taveta, restored land supports cattle, wildlife, and about 100 local jobs. Our own drip-bucket kitchen gardens put fresh greens on children’s plates from Garissa to Voi with almost no water.

Here’s what would keep local communities and small farmers in the picture:

• Start with what people already know. Pastoralists and dryland farmers hold generations of knowledge about rain, pasture, and drought. Research should build on it, not replace it.
• Make seed and tools affordable and local. If only a demonstration farm can afford it, it’s a pilot, not a solution.
• Bring markets closer. Value addition and processing near the farm keeps the money in the county, as I saw in Laikipia.
• Train young people from these counties. Garissa and Tharaka students who go home with new skills are worth more than any outside expert who visits once.
• Protect land rights. “Future of agriculture” must never become an excuse to push herders off communal land.

Over to you

The drylands deserve this attention. The question is who benefits from it. If the farmers and herders who already live there are partners from day one, Kenya’s drylands really could feed the country’s future.

Do you live or work in a dryland county? Do you feel part of these plans, or left out of them? Tell me in the comments.

Source: Talk Africa, 7 October 2026