Evaluation of the Kenya Hunger Safety Net Programme Phase 2: emergency payments deep dive study

Background This deep dive study focuses on the emergency payments (KES 2,700 per month) made to Group 2 beneficiaries of the HSNP Phase 2 in the six months from November 2016 to May 2017, triggered when the HSNP sub-counties were classified by the Vegetation Condition Index as in severe or extreme drought. During this period, 381,132 emergency payments were made to 97,922 households: a total of KES 868 million (approx. $8.4 million / £6.3 million). Findings Group 2 beneficiaries tend to value the emergency transfers and feel they are timely, although they do not understand the targeting mechanism well.

The size, infrequency, and unpredictability of payments means their impacts at the household level are relatively constrained in comparison to HSNP’s routine transfers (Group 1). Emergency payments are used to support basic needs but are insufficient to prevent serious depletion of productive assets, such as livestock, which is the most significant negative impact of drought in these pastoralist areas. Emergency payments may have significant positive impacts on the local economy.