The study examined the performance of livestock markets in arid areas, specifically in Turkana, with an emphasis on competitiveness and determinants of market access within livestock production, marketing, and trade systems. The research study involved 168 livestock traders selected from operational livestock markets in Turkana, specifically Kerio (Turkana Central Sub County), Lokiriama (Loima Sub County), and Kachoda (Turkana North Sub County), with their performances also juxtaposed against other markets in arid regions of Kenya. The study results indicated that extreme competition is evident in the Turkana livestock marketing system, considerably affecting livestock production and marketing activities. This leads to the non-functionality of some potential markets, diminishes the competitiveness of several traders, and ultimately obstructs market access initiatives. Factors include inadequate legislation, insufficient research, informal marketing systems, resource –based conflicts and insecurity, restricted capital, market competition, exploitation of low-capital traders, and climate change intensify these consequences. The study advocates for comprehensive programming in livestock development in Turkana, emphasising stakeholder capacity enhancement, systems-oriented methodologies, knowledge and technology dissemination, legislative improvements, and the augmentation of competition and market access capabilities. This includes the transformation of Livestock Marketing Associations (LMAs) into Livestock Marketing Cooperatives (LMC) and the increase of capital resources for livestock businesses to enhance the competitiveness of local traders and diversify enterprises. These objectives are accomplished when national and county livestock plans incorporate the production and marketing potential of dryland regions.