The ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN), with funding from Oxfam and support from Concern Worldwide and ACTED, implemented a multi-purpose cash transfer (MPCT) programme targeting drought-affected households in Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana, and Wajir counties. The baseline assessment, conducted by IMPACT Initiatives between 6 and 15 November 2021, captured pre-assistance conditions across 4,091 beneficiary households prior to the first cash disbursement.

Key findings reveal high levels of vulnerability:

• Food Consumption Score (FCS): 72.2% of households were in poor consumption status; only 11.8% had acceptable FCS.

• Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS): 85.7% reported low dietary diversity (average HDDS 2.9).

• Average household income: KES 2,873 per month; average expenditure: KES 2,927, with 61% spent on food.

• Coping mechanisms: average rCSI of 11.2, showing reliance on negative strategies such as meal reduction.

• Dry spell effects: 96.5% of households reported drought impacts, 84.4% rangeland loss, and 55.9% drought-related conflict, mainly over water and pasture.

Protection and accountability findings were strong, with 98% of households feeling safe during programme registration and 99% preferring mobile money as their mode of assistance.

The baseline confirms extensive drought-induced food insecurity and loss of livelihood assets across Kenya’s ASAL region. It established a foundation for tracking progress in the subsequent midline and endline evaluations of AHN’s cash-based humanitarian response.