At least 4,400 goats were distributed to needy families in Turkana County in a restocking exercise conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
Turkana County Commissioner Julius Kavita led the exercise, accompanied by officers from the Department of Livestock Development in Lokichoggio Sub County.
A total of 72 households in Lokichoggio were given 360 goats, with each targeted family getting five goats, including one he-goat.
Kavita said all the 11 sub-counties in the county have received their allocations of the goats to support the needy families.
‘These goats are not meant for sale but they should breed and increase so that they can help the households in future,’ said Kavita.
‘As the president has been implementing subsidies to other sectors like tea, coffee, sugarcane the arid and semi-arid areas have also been considered in the goats restocking programme,’ added Kavita.
The residents expressed their appreciation to the government for helping uplift their livelihoods.
One of the beneficiaries, Margaret Ekumo, could not hide her joy after she received five goats.
‘These goats will help uplift my standard of living as they reproduce and increase,’ she said.
Mark Werimo, from the State Department for Livestock Production, said the restocking exercise is meant to uplift the living standards of the host community.
Assistant Secretary at the Department of Livestock Development Wairimu Irungu cautioned the beneficiaries against selling the goats and urged them to take care of them so that they can reproduce and increase.
By Peter Gitonga
