Kenya plans largest livestock vaccination campaign to boost exports

Principal Secretary for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke in this photo taken on February 21, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The government plans to vaccinate 22 million cattle and 50 million goats and sheep in a nationwide campaign aimed at opening global markets and boosting the livestock sector.

Principal Secretary for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke said the vaccination drive will curb animal diseases, a key barrier that has locked Kenyan livestock products out of international markets.

"Kenyan livestock farmers will access both national and international markets," said Mueke.

He said the campaign will form part of broader government interventions, including subsidies and technological innovations, to commercialise livestock farming and create wealth and jobs.

Mueke said changing consumer preferences have increased demand for supply chain transparency, prompting the development of Anitrack, a digital identification and traceability system.

"That is why we are developing a system called Anitrack that will register our animals, track their breed, productivity and geographical origins. This will allow us to prove traceability of livestock products besides giving the market requisite confidence and embracing international best practices," noted Mueke.

The system will enable farmers to use livestock as collateral to access loans, with banks and insurers using vaccination records, breed and age data as a basis to offer financial services.

Each animal will receive a GPS-enabled tag, linking it to its owner and deterring theft by requiring electronic proof of ownership for sales.

Mueke said the government will also promote the use of sexed semen to improve livestock breeds and boost productivity.