Common Questions

Practical answers about living in and around Isiolo, grounded in published county data and news reports. If something here is wrong or out of date, use the correction link at the bottom of the page.

Which days does the livestock market run?+−

The Isiolo sales yard runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It is the region's principal livestock market — cattle, goats, sheep and camels arrive from across Isiolo County, from Samburu, Turkana, Wajir, Marsabit, Moyale and Garissa, and from across the Somali border. Demand visibly rises around Eid al-Adha.

Market fees are set by the county and have been a point of dispute between traders and the county in the past; we could not verify the current fee schedule, so ask at the yard before you sell.

What do goats and cattle actually sell for?+−

It depends heavily on which market. In NDMA's February 2026 survey a two-year goat averaged Ksh 8,000 at Isiolo town but Ksh 4,500 at Oldonyiro and Merti; cattle averaged Ksh 45,000 at the Isiolo yard against Ksh 30,000 at Oldonyiro.

The livestock price board on this site shows the latest bulletin's figures for each market, the terms of trade, and exactly how old the numbers are.

What are the NDMA drought phases everyone mentions?+−

The National Drought Management Authority classifies the county every month on a four-step scale: Normal (indicators within seasonal ranges), Alert (rain, vegetation or water out of range), Alarm (production and access affected) and Emergency (lives and livelihoods at risk). The classification is published in the monthly Isiolo County Drought Early Warning Bulletin, a free PDF on NDMA's knowledge web. At the end of February 2026 the county was at Alert and worsening, though the early onset of the long rains was expected to improve things.

Where does the HSNP cash transfer come from?+−

The Hunger Safety Net Programme is run through the National Drought Management Authority. In February 2026 its cash transfer reached about 6,600 households in Isiolo County (about Ksh 17.9 million that month), alongside relief food distributed through the Office of the President and cash transfers from organisations like the Kenya Red Cross and PACIDA in specific wards.

Why is town water rationed, and what does water cost?+−

Isiolo's two treatment plants draw on the Isiolo River system, and the water company (IWASCO) says uncontrolled upstream abstraction and vandalised infrastructure keep cutting supply — so rationing recurs. The county has been shifting from emergency water trucking to boreholes, but several rural boreholes remain broken after vandalism.

At community water kiosks a 20-litre jerrican cost Ksh 2–5 in February 2026. In outlying settlements people paid more: about Ksh 15 at Modogashe's traditional river wells and up to Ksh 40 from vendors in Dadachabasa.

What is actually happening with LAPSSET, the airport and the resort city?+−

Isiolo is a node of the LAPSSET corridor and a Vision 2030 flagship site, but most of the promised projects are unfinished. The international airport was commissioned in 2017 and still operates below capacity; the resort city planned at Kipsing Gap remains on paper; an export abattoir and the Ksh 545 million modern market stalled, and the county has moved to revive them.

So far the projects have produced land speculation and compensation disputes more reliably than jobs. Residents have protested that Isiolo landowners were offered Ksh 25,000 per square metre for the corridor against Ksh 45,000 in Garissa — a gap leaders blame on Isiolo's missing title deeds, since most land here is held communally without them.

How do I get to Nairobi?+−

Isiolo sits on the A2, about 285 km north of Nairobi — tarmac the whole way. The town is the last sizeable stop before the northern rangelands, and long-distance traffic between Nairobi and Moyale passes through daily.

What does milk cost, and why does it swing so much?+−

Fresh milk ranged from Ksh 120 to 160 a litre in February 2026. The price moves with the rains: in that dry month households milked about 1.1 litres a day, down from 1.4 in January, with almost all goats dry and most milk coming from cows and camels.

Much of the camel-milk economy is run by women — the Anolei cooperative processes up to 7,000 litres a day in the rainy season and trucks it to Nairobi's Eastleigh.

Is it risky to move livestock during a drought?+−

Resource-based conflict does occur in dry months, when herds from several counties converge on the remaining pasture. NDMA's February 2026 bulletin recorded few incidents but noted herders in Kinna, Ngaremara, Chari and Cherab wards choosing to move in groups, and it expected pressure to ease as herds return to their own grazing areas after the rains. Community representatives — Borana, Samburu, Turkana and Rendille — signed a peace pact in April 2025.

In an emergency the national police lines are 999, 112 or 911, toll-free.

Which radio stations cover Isiolo?+−

Two community stations broadcast from town: Radio Shahidi 91.7 FM, run by the Catholic Diocese of Isiolo, covering Isiolo and parts of Meru, Samburu and Laikipia; and Baliti FM 102.7, started in 2012 by the Foundation for Women Pastoralists, reaching about 130 km around town. Market, drought and peace information mostly travels by radio here.

When are the rainy seasons?+−

Two each year: the long rains from March to May (MAM) and the short rains from October to December (OND). On the 30-year average the short rains are the bigger season here, with November the wettest month. The rain outlook tool on this site shows where the current season stands against those averages.

Why are schools sometimes short of water?+−

In the outlying wards, schools depend on the same boreholes and wells as everyone else. NDMA's February 2026 bulletin reported severe shortages affecting learning at schools in Cherab ward — including Dadachabasa secondary — and acute shortages at Hagarsu and Malka Mansa primary schools in Sericho. Water trucking to schools and borehole repairs were among the bulletin's recommended interventions.