This study presents the first report of isolating and characterizing root-associated endophytic methylotrophic bacterial strains from maize (Zea mays L.) adapted to the semi-arid region of Mbooni Kasikue in Makueni County, Kenya. The findings hold significant promise. A total of 50 unique, colonial, and distinctive endophytic methylotrophic bacterial strains were isolated and subsequently purified. The isolates were subjected to polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000-induced stress to assess their sensitivity to drought. The isolates were then classified based on their level of drought sensitivity. The highly drought-tolerant isolates were screened for various plant-growth-promoting and drought-tolerance properties, including their ability to produce siderophores, synthesize indole-3-acetic acid, solubilize essential macro-elements, synthesize proline, salicylic acid, and exhibition of catalase activity. Two elite strains, (EMK13 and EMK27) based on their drought tolerance and growth-promoting capabilities were identified as Methylobacterium variabile and Methylobacterium komagatae, respectively, through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and BLAST analysis. The biotization effect of these elite strains was tested on maize seeds. The co-inoculation of strains EMK13 and EMK27 showed synergistic potential in improving growth metrics such as germination rate (86.67%), vigor index (650.03), and seedling length (7.2 cm) under drought stress conditions compared to the control.