NORTHERN KENYA – Northern Kenya is mostly arid and semi-arid land (ASAL), covering over 80% of Kenya’s total landmass. Most local communities practise nomadic pastoralism as a key way to survive the harsh dry climate and variable rainfall. According to data from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), an estimated 4 million to 8 million people in Kenya’s ASALs primarily across northern regions like Marsabit, Turkana, Wajir, Isiolo, Samburu, and Garissa depend on pastoralism and livestock production for their livelihoods.
To boost food security and tackle climate change, pastoralists in Marsabit, Isiolo, Samburu, and southern Ethiopia are now embracing drought-tolerant crops with high nutritional value for humans and livestock. One crop attracting both farmers and herders is the “Miracle Tree” or “Tree of Life,” a fast-growing, climate-resilient indigenous plant sustaining livelihoods, nutrition, and culture in Marsabit and neighbouring Ethiopia. Shakespeare asked in Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name?” It’s quality, not the name, that matters. The same applies to this northern Kenya plant, valued despite having many names.
In Moyale, on the Kenya-Ethiopia border, farmers explain why it is called the miracle tree. Mama Mare Mohamed, a farmer in Marsabit, says: “This wonder tree is in almost every homestead.” Shibia Guyo, a farmer in Nyayo Road, Saku Constituency, adds that it is called miraculous because of its multiple uses food, medicine, and fodder. Saku Agriculture Officer Duba Nura confirms: “It is a miracle tree because it survives drought and grows fast.”
In Dakabaricha, 5km from Marsabit town, farmer and expert Sheikh Omar Boru Kutara explains that among the Burji, Borana, Gabra, Konso, and Rendille in Kenya, as well as the Kaffa, Gamo, Gofa, and Sidamo in Ethiopia, the plant is known as Shalqeda. In Swahili, it is called Mzunze, and in English, Moringa. Of about 13 species, Marsabit’s most common are Moringa oleifera (drumstick tree) and Moringa stenopetala (cabbage tree / superfood), which are used as vegetables. Kutara, who has trained in several countries, notes that besides Asia, Moringa is widely grown in East Africa, including Uganda, Sudan, Djibouti, and Madagascar.
Nura explains that the tree is propagated through cuttings or seeds. It grows fast, with leaves ready for harvest in just 6 to 8 weeks. It thrives in semi-arid, low-fertility, gravel soils and withstands harsh drought conditions. Beyond nutrition, it provides shade for homesteads, eateries, and elders’ barazas, while acting as a cover crop for beans and vegetables.
The economic potential is significant. Kutara says one acre yields 10 to 15 tonnes of fresh Moringa leaves, fetching about Sh400,000 per harvest. He earns at least Sh100,000 monthly and targets planting 5,000 trees. He has already started value addition drying, milling, and packaging and is awaiting KEBS certification to supply supermarkets and export to Europe in partnership with the WFP.
The health benefits are equally compelling. Marsabit resident and expert Dr. Boku Budha notes that Moringa boosts immunity, helps prevent cancer, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, and increases breast milk for lactating mothers, helping prevent child malnutrition. Dried leaves are brewed into tea, while Mama Mare shares that the leaves are cooked as a vegetable or mixed to make traditional foods like Fiqe or Qanchibelo.
According to the US National Institutes of Health, Moringa seeds can remove up to 90% of impurities from drinking water, including bacteria and heavy metals. The roots, seeds, and flowers are used medicinally, while young seed pods are high in fibre that aids digestion and prevents colon cancer. The leaves are rich in iron, protein, and amino acids that build muscle and immunity.
Given these advantages, agro-ecology and food rights experts Dr. Harun Warui and Dr. Hassan Guyo Roba urge Marsabit residents to embrace Moringa alongside other drought-tolerant crops, calling on the government to develop a comprehensive climate adaptation guideline.
In response, Agriculture PS Ephantus Kimotho announced that national and county governments have launched a Drought Resilience Programme in Northern Kenya to scale up farming, advising farmers in Marsabit to cultivate climate-resilient crops to enhance food security, grow the local economy, and adapt to climate change.
