The national government, through the State Department for Livestock, has launched a mass livestock vaccination exercise in Samburu County aimed at protecting animals from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR).
The exercise targets cattle, sheep and goats and forms part of a nationwide programme intended to improve animal health, enhance productivity and enable Kenya to access both international and local meat and milk markets.
Speaking during the launch at Longewan Village in Samburu West Sub-County, Dr. Geoffrey Mukora from the Directorate of Veterinary Services said the vaccination campaign was in line with a presidential directive to vaccinate all livestock across the country.
Dr. Mukora noted that the government has heavily subsidised the cost of vaccines to ensure that all farmers, including pastoralists in remote areas, are able to participate in the exercise, which will run for one month.
“For the FMD vaccine, which costs Sh160, the government will pay Sh110 while the farmer will only pay Sh50. For the PPR vaccine, which costs Sh13, the government will pay Sh10 and the farmer will pay just Sh3 through the e-voucher system,” said Dr. Mukora.
He added that the vaccination programme is part of broader government efforts to strengthen the livestock sector.
These include the planned rollout of fodder and feed seeds to enable farmers to grow sufficient feed for their animals, as well as the expansion of Artificial Insemination (AI) services to improve cattle breeds and overall productivity.
Dr. Mukora emphasised that controlling livestock diseases is critical to safeguarding pastoral livelihoods and boosting incomes, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions such as Samburu.
On his part, Samburu County Executive Committee (CECM) Member for Livestock and Fisheries Moses Lelotuaa urged herders to avail their livestock for vaccination during the exercise.
“We are working closely with the State Department for Livestock, and they have assured us that there are enough vaccines to immunise more than 300,000 cattle and over one million sheep and goats across the county,” he said.
The CECM noted that disease outbreaks significantly reduce livestock productivity, affecting birthing rates, milk production and weight gain for animals raised for meat.
He said the vaccination exercise will help improve animal health, enhance food security and increase household incomes.
The exercise is targeting more than 1.3 million livestock across Samburu County.
By Robert Githu
