Turkana Drought 2026 | AP Photographer Patrick Ngugi
Turkana County in northern Kenya is experiencing one of the most severe droughts in recent history. Failed rains, livestock loss, and water scarcity are disrupting daily life for pastoralist communities.
Location – Turkana County, Kenya
Year – Feb 2026
Published – Associated Press(AP)
Category – Climate & Humanitarian Crisis
This photojournalism project documents the human and environmental impact of the drought, with images captured on the ground during 2026. This was curated On assighment for The Associated Press in Turkana, Kenya.
At dawn in Turkana County, the wind moves across a landscape the color of ash. What was once grazing land has hardened into cracked earth, and the silence is broken only by the shuffle of weakened livestock. For many pastoralist families, the drought is no longer an abstract climate statistic but a daily negotiation with survival. Wells and Waterpans have dried, rivers have retreated into memory, and the search for water begins before the sun rises. Walking for Kilometers with wishes of access to this precious commodity.
In the Village of Keris, Turkana North, Kenya, a mother measures the remaining maize flour with deliberate care, stretching each portion to last another day. Her children sit quietly in the shade of a temporary shelter, their routines shaped not by school bells but by the uncertainty of the next meal. Livestock losses — once a buffer against hardship — have stripped families of both income and cultural identity, compounding the crisis beyond immediate hunger.
Northern Kenya has faced repeated failed rainy seasons, intensifying food insecurity across arid and semi-arid regions. Humanitarian agencies, including World Vision Kenya, report millions at risk, with Turkana among the hardest hit counties. Boreholes- If ever existed – are strained migration patterns are shifting, and local authorities struggle to respond as needs outpace available resources. The drought is not sudden; it is cumulative, built season after season of insufficient rain.
Yet amid the stark conditions, resilience persists. Communities share water, aid workers navigate long distances to reach remote settlements, and families continue tending the few animals that remain.
The weak animalsare left at home, while the rest treck for Miles to the remaining water sources.
Documenting these realities is not only about capturing hardship but about bearing witness to a climate crisis unfolding in real time — one that links remote villages in Turkana to broader global conversations about vulnerability, adaptation, and responsibility.
This project is available for editorial licensing(through AP), NGO communications, and institutional storytelling. If you are a newsroom, humanitarian organization, research institution, or advocacy group working on drought resilience, climate adaptation, food security, or water access in Northern Kenya, these visuals can support your reporting, campaigns, donor briefs, and impact documentation. High-resolution files, extended captions, and field notes are available upon request. Assignments and embedded coverage can also be commissioned for ongoing climate-related operations.
I am open to partnerships with NGOs, foundations, and media houses seeking to document climate impacts with depth and credibility. Whether you require a short visual report, a multimedia package, or long-term documentation of resilience initiatives, this work can be adapted to meet your communication objectives. For licensing inquiries, commissions, or collaborative projects, please get in touch directly via email or phone to discuss scope, timelines, and usage terms.
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