Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has implored county governments to partner with the national government in transforming Kenya’s livestock industry into a pillar of food security, rural livelihood, and economic growth.
Addressing a joint consultative forum with 24 governors of the arid and semi-arid counties, Kagwe laid out the main priority areas of rangeland recovery, cheap and sustainable animal feeds, immunization, livestock identification and traceability, and focused breed improvement.
“Market-led production is our focus. That implies putting money in disease management, enhancing access to finance, enhancing producer bodies, and constructing structured markets that are able to unlock profitable prospects,” he added.
The CS called for government programme ANITRAC to tag livestock, arguing it is necessary if Kenya is to access export markets.
“It’s not witchcraft when we tag our animals; it is for your benefit. We have to do it if we want to access export markets,” he added.
Kagwe further backed a proposal by Council of Governors chairman and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi to involve agripreneurs in the livestock value chain but advocated for a national certification system based on agriculture colleges.
I support certifying agripreneurs so we can professionalize the industry. But it should not be interpreted as a license to practice immorally. Agripreneurs must demonstrate themselves as competent in technology, soil management, and modern systems of production before they are certified. We are not hiring agripreneurs; we are certifying them,” he emphasized.
Governor Abdullahi emphasized the vulnerability of pastoral communities to shocks from the climate and demanded establishment of a Livestock Commercialization Fund to cushion herders across the country.
He criticized the paltry allocation to agriculture only 3%, with livestock being covered by only a fraction and urged Kenya to follow Botswana’s example of strict registration and marking to improve disease control and market access.
Garissa Governor Nathif Jamaa, also the chair of the ASAL and DRM Committee, reported that the counties would put their proposals into one master plan for livestock to be tabled before the CS, who will present it to President William Ruto.
Attendees at the meeting were Governors Mutahi Kahiga (Nyeri), Abdulswamad Nassir (Mombasa), Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka Nithi), Andrew Mwadime (Taita Taveta), Simon Kachapin (West Pokot), Joshua Irungu (Laikipia), and Benjamin Cheboi (Baringo).
Deputy governors attending included Linda Kiome (Meru), Lucy Mulili (Makueni), Salim Batuyu (Tana River), Kinyua Mugo (Embu), and Raphael Munyua (Lamu). They were joined by PS for Livestock Jonathan Mueke, officials of the Council of Governors, and 24 chief executive officers of county agriculture.
