Nutrition Program Boosts Health in Arid Areas

Kenya has launched a major nutrition initiative focused on improving health outcomes in its most vulnerable arid and semi-arid counties. The Nutrition Improvement through Cash and Health Education (NICHE) programme was officially rolled out in Isiolo County, where it combines cash transfers with health and nutrition education to protect the most at-risk mothers and children. The counties targeted under NICHE include Kilifi, Kitui, Marsabit, Turkana, West Pokot, and now Isiolo.
Under the NICHE model, selected households already receiving social protection cash (from the National Safety Net Programme) get an additional monthly top-up of KSh 500–1,000, depending on the number of eligible beneficiaries. This financial support is paired with community-based nutrition counselling. Local community health volunteers conduct regular home visits, teaching participants how to prepare nutritionally balanced meals, practice good infant feeding, and care for pregnant and lactating women.
In addition to NICHE, the NAWIRI programme — Nutrition in ASALs Within Integrated Resilient Institutions — is working in Isiolo and Marsabit counties to reduce acute malnutrition sustainably. This is a multi-sectoral effort led by a consortium of partners including Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Catholic Relief Services, and Concern Worldwide.NAWIRI supports local food systems by helping small- and medium-sized food businesses produce, store, and distribute more nutritious products.
Complementing these interventions, community-driven nutrition projects in Turkana County have promoted home gardening, capacity building, and use of locally available foods. Meanwhile, Amref Health Africa’s One‑Health (OHEAL) programme in Isiolo is leveraging indigenous knowledge, climate adaptation, and mother-to-mother support groups to boost nutrition resilience among women and young children.
Early results are promising: these integrated efforts are helping vulnerable households improve dietary diversity, reduce acute malnutrition rates, and build greater resilience against the cyclical food insecurity that often plagues arid regions. Health stakeholders say the combined cash, education, and systems-strengthening approach could become a blueprint for tackling malnutrition in many of Kenya’s drought-prone areas.