Residents of Wajir County have welcomed government plans to invest Sh5 billion for the transformation of the pastoral economy into a vibrant investment opportunity.
The appreciation comes following President William Ruto’s revelation during the 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations held at Wajir Stadium that the government intends to empower pastoral communities across Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) by enhancing access to financing, markets, and value-addition opportunities.
The Head of State had expressed regrets that although livestock remains the backbone of livelihoods in Northern Kenya, the sector has for many years received limited support despite its significant contribution to the economy.
“For decades, pastoralism was regarded as one of Kenya’s most valuable economic assets while receiving limited support in animal health, markets, infrastructure, and financing,” said the president.
He said the government was committed to correcting the historical imbalance through targeted investments and reforms aimed at unlocking the full economic potential of the livestock sector.
The Head of State said livestock should no longer be viewed solely as a subsistence activity, but as a major economic enterprise capable of creating jobs, generating wealth and increasing export earnings.
“We see livestock and see enterprise. We see exports. We see jobs. We see wealth,” he noted.
At the center of the reforms is the establishment of a County Livestock Investment Company initiative, which will support more than 350,000 pastoralists in 21 ASAL counties to form and own livestock investment companies.
“That is why we are establishing a Sh5 billion County Livestock Investment Company initiative to support more than 350,000 pastoralists across 21 ASAL counties to form and own livestock investment companies,” said Ruto.
The president outlined that the initiative is designed to enable pastoralists to participate collectively in livestock-related enterprises and benefit from improved access to markets, insurance services, financing, and value addition.
Drawing parallels with other successful agricultural models in the country, he said pastoralists should similarly own and control businesses built around their livestock resources.
“Just as tea farmers own their factories through KTDA and dairy farmers own their cooperatives, pastoralists too must own and control the businesses built around their livestock,” he stated.
The president noted that the initiative would create opportunities for communities to participate more actively in meat processing, leather production, and dairy value chains, thereby increasing incomes and reducing reliance on the sale of live animals.
He added that the programme is expected to improve livelihoods for more than two million household members living in ASAL regions.
To strengthen livestock production, the government has also invested in animal health and resilience-building programmes. The President said more than 10 million animals have been vaccinated under national livestock vaccination campaigns while vaccine production capacity has been expanded.
He further highlighted investments in feedlots, hay storage facilities and rangeland restoration programmes aimed at reducing the impact of drought on pastoral livelihoods.
“We have restored more than 305,000 hectares of degraded rangelands, expanded breeding programmes, and strengthened livestock training and market infrastructure,” he said.
According to the President, the interventions are already yielding positive results, with Kenya’s meat exports increasing significantly over the past three years.
“Meat exports have increased by 84 per cent, from Sh8.9 billion in 2022 to Sh16.4 billion in 2025,” he said.
He added that milk production and dairy exports had also registered growth, reflecting gradual expansion of the livestock value chain.
However, Ruto emphasized the need for the country to move beyond the export of live animals and focus on higher-value livestock products.
“We must move beyond live animal exports to higher-value products such as meat, leather, and dairy,” he said.
To support the transition, the President announced plans to operationalise the Livestock Enterprise Development Fund, establish a National Strategic Fodder Reserve, strengthen pastoral cooperatives and roll out a national animal identification and traceability system.
He said the measures would enhance productivity, improve compliance with export standards, and expand access to international markets.
The President also announced the deployment of 2,000 agripreneurs across ASAL counties to provide technical support, agricultural advisory services and market linkages to pastoral communities.
“We are deploying agripreneurs who will provide last-mile agricultural advisory services and connect pastoralist communities to markets and finance,” he said.
The additional agripreneurs will bring the total number of agricultural extension support personnel under the programme to 7,000 nationwide.
The reforms form part of the government’s broader agenda to modernise agriculture and strengthen economic opportunities in Northern Kenya, where livestock remains the primary source of livelihood for millions of people.
By Hamdi Buthul
