The county is located in the northeastern part of Kenya; it borders Ethiopia to the north, the Somalia Republic to the east, and Wajir County to the south and southwest. It covers an area of 25,797.7 Km2. Mandera Countyhas six (6) sub-counties: Mandera West, Banissa, Mandera North, Mandera South, Mandera East and Lafey. The county has a population of 867,457 people (Vol. 1 KPHC 2019), with 434,976 of the population being male, 432,444 female and 37
of the population being intersex.
The main natural resource is Quarry Mining and Malkamari national game reserve. The county also boasts of having tourist attraction sites like Malka Mari Fort, National Park and Game Reserve. The main economic activities that the communities living in Mandera County practice include pastoralism, trade across the borders, quarrying, beekeeping and agriculture-sorghum, maize, cowpeas, onions & mangoes along river Daua. Further, the county has minerals like Gypsum, and Chromite, that can be mined for economic growth. Like every other county, that ADSE plans to implement projects in, 2016 data places Mandera County at a poverty rate of 61.9%17