By A, KNA
The Machakos Department of Agriculture, Food Security, Livestock and Cooperative Development has rolled out a countywide livestock vaccination, deworming, and ectoparasite treatment exercise aimed at boosting productivity and safeguarding food security.
The free vaccination drive, undertaken by the county’s veterinary department at sites in Mumbuni North, Kinanie, Kenya Israel, and Miwongoni, targets cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys, and dogs.
The program aims to protect livestock against foot and mouth disease, parasitic infections, and ectoparasites, ensuring healthier herds and safeguarding farmers’ investments.
Chief Officer for Agriculture and Livestock, Moses Wambua, speaking at Miwongoni vaccination site, said the initiative will cover all 40 wards. He stressed that the exercise will curb outbreaks, reduce veterinary costs, and strengthen the county’s livestock-based economy.
Wambua urged livestock farmers to actively participate, noting that “healthy animals have a better growth rate, yield higher quality products, and bring more returns for farmers.” He emphasized that improved animal health not only reduces veterinary interventions but also opens opportunities for export markets and economic growth.
He further explained that the countywide vaccination reflects Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s socio-economic transformative agenda “Chakula mezani, pesa mfukoni” (Food on the table, money in the pocket) and provides an opportunity to sensitize farmers on best livestock management practices.
Farmers welcomed the initiative, praising the county government for easing their financial burden and promoting animal health. Patrick Kaloki, a dairy farmer from Mumbuni, commended the department for ensuring vaccination centers were accessible, saying the program secures farmers’ livelihoods by safeguarding their herds.
Judith Nzioki, a livestock farmer from Kinanie with over ten years of experience, noted that diseases have long destabilized small-scale farmers by forcing them to spend heavily on private veterinary services while suffering losses. She said the county’s free vaccination drive will greatly reduce disease transmission and ensure farmers raise healthier herds.
The exercise comes in the wake of a nationwide livestock vaccination program launched earlier this year by the national government. The three-year initiative targets 22 million cattle and 50 million sheep and goats in a bid to combat Foot and Mouth Disease and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), both of which continue to threaten animal health, food security, and trade across the country.