Devolved Governance Finances and Pastoralist Livelihood Diversification in Moyale, Marsabit County, Kenya
- AIOR Admin
- Dec 28, 2025
- 2 min read
Rahma Aga, Namenya Daniel Naburi
Africa Nazarene University, Kenya
The pastoralist communities account for over 25 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa whose livelihood is based on livestock keeping as they move from one place to another. In the recent past, some of the pastoralists have shifted to doing other agricultural activities in combination with mobile livestock keeping. The choice of livelihood is influenced by the social, cultural, economic, political and psychological components. Devolved governments facilitate sustainable, equitable and high-quality services for all citizens. In Kenya, devolution gives political powers to the county governments which determines among others the livelihoods of communities including pastoralists. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of Devolved Governance on Pastoralist Livelihood in Moyale Sub- County, Marsabit County, Kenya. The study employed a descriptive research design. The target population included 1771 household heads, stratified as per their role in the pastoralist communities. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were utilized to select a sample size of 315 respondents using the Kothari Formula. Questionnaires, key informant interview guides and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Financial analysis was done based on the Annual County Fiscal Strategy Papers. Results indicate that through devolution, between the financial years 2017/2018 to 2023/2024, the county received a total revenue of Ksh. 54,433,192,393.00. Out of these sum total, (Approx. 53.0%) were spent on recurrent expenditures while (Approx. 36.4%) were spent on development expenditures. Recurrent and development expenditures accounted for 89.4% while 10.6% were not absorbed. Key sectors aligned to powering pastoralist livelihood diversification such as agriculture, livestock, fisheries, water, environment and natural resources received less than 10% of the total annual revenue allocated in the county. Although devolved governance had initiated measures that could catalyse livelihood diversification, such as educating the locals on livelihood diversification measures and budgetary allocation on livelihoods diversification programmes, the impact made by these strategies were less than 20% (mean =1.96 SD=1.00). Pastoralists continued experiencing considerable challenges in an effort to embrace livelihood diversification that include livestock diseases, drought, lack of business skills, lack funds for capital to diversify into other economic activities, climatic variability, inter-tribal conflicts and degradation of land. The study concludes that devolved governance did not adequately, prioritize key pastoralist livelihood diversification sectors based on local priority needs and hence the pastoralist remained unsatisfied with devolved governance financing impact on their livelihoods. The study recommends the need to enhance pastoralist livelihood diversification through devolved governance adequately financing activities in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, water, environment and natural resources together with education and skill development as a counter measure of the climate change impacts, poverty and resource- based insecurity among other challenges.
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