The Elgeyo Marakwet County Department of Livestock has launched a massive, county-wide vaccination program following recent outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) aimed at protecting livestock and safeguarding farmers’ livelihoods.

Speaking during the launch, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, Edwin Kibor, said the critical exercise targets both cattle and small ruminants (goats and sheep) to safeguard the region’s livestock economy.

The campaign officially kicked off on Tuesday, December 9,  in Kaptarit, Kamariny Ward, Keiyo North Constituency, intending to reach all the farmers in the county.

“We currently face an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in several wards, specifically Kapchemutwa, Endo, and Cheragany-Chebororwa,” explained CECM Kibor. “That is why we have commenced the vaccination in wards which have not yet reported cases, to stop the spread.”

Key Targets

• FMD (Cattle): 250,000 animals
• PPR (Goats & Sheep): 450,000 animals

He drew a sharp comparison between the cost of the intervention and the potential loss:

“If you have livestock, it is far better to pay Ksh50 for vaccination than to lose your animal, which could be worth over Ksh100,000.”

Kibor further stressed that the comprehensive program is continuous, aiming for the total prevention and eventual eradication of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) throughout the country.

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National Strategy to Boost Livestock GDP

This critical initiative is strategically designed to significantly raise the livestock sector’s contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), targeting an increase from the current 12% to 20% by 2030.

The initiative is designed to raise the sector’s contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP) from the current 12 per cent to 20 per cent by 2030.

This ambitious partnership focuses on disease control, breeds improvement, and enhanced feeding systems, using a digital e-voucher model that subsidizes the cost of animal vaccination and breeding services for farmers across the country.

“This programme is a game-changer for Kenya’s livestock industry. It leverages digital technology to make animal health services more transparent, accessible, and affordable to farmers,” Dr. Kelvin Osore earlier said.

Over 50 million sheep and goats and 22 million cattle are targeted in this vaccination against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), two of the livestock diseases that have the greatest economic impact on Kenya.

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Vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) at Keiyo North Constituency. PHOTO/Courtesy