Research Terms of Reference: Impact assessment of desert locust infestation response in Samburu North and Samburu East sub-counties (KEN2010), Kenya, December 2020 Format 2.1. Rationale Samburu County is one of the 47 County governments in Kenya and it consists three sub-counties (Samburu West, Samburu East and Samburu North). It is located in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of Kenya. According to the 2019 Kenya population and housing census, Samburu County has a population of 310,327 and 65,910 households (HHs). The primary economic activity is nomadic pastoralism with parts of Samburu practicing agro-pastoralism. Since December 2019, Samburu county among other counties in Kenya has been affected by desert locust invasion as billions of insects devour crops and grazing lands (browse and pasture), threatening the food security and livelihood of a population in a region already weakened by extreme-climate events and armed conflict. Households in Samburu county primarily rely on sale of livestock and consumption and/or sale of animals’ products such as milk. The loss of browse and pasture deteriorates animals’ bodies leading to a loss in production and income. Kenya is likely to encounter a second wave of the desert locust infestation from mid December 20202. The second wave of desert locust infestation could make the vulnerable communities who had not fully recovered from the effects of first wave more susceptible to their effects. Therefore, understanding the impact of the response from the first wave might provide an evidence-based analysis of the gaps in the intervention.