Kagwe: Why livestock vaccination is important

In October 2024, the government embarked on a nationwide initiative to vaccinate livestock across Kenya, targeting diseases that afflict cattle and sheep.

President William Ruto was a key advocate for this campaign, encouraging livestock owners to participate in large numbers.

He highlighted the crucial role that vaccination plays in ensuring the competitiveness of Kenya’s livestock in both domestic and international markets.

According to Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, the main aim of Kenya’s national livestock vaccination effort is to drastically reduce and ultimately eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a viral disease related to the rinderpest virus.

The plan involves vaccinating cattle against FMD and sheep and goats against PPR.

These diseases cross borders and impact cattle, sheep, and goats, leading to significant losses in livestock production and productivity.

Their impact is profound, threatening food security and safety, and resulting in economic losses estimated at up to Sh62 billion annually.

This figure includes lost revenue from the closure of local and international markets, high treatment costs, and the risk of up to 70 percent animal mortality during outbreaks.

Kagwe noted that Kenya has approximately 22 million cattle, 23 million sheep, 35 million goats, and 4.3 million camels.

The government’s vaccination drive aims to protect these animals, adhering to internationally accepted strategies for FMD and PPR control and eradication.

FMD and PPR are leading causes of significant production losses, resulting in animal deaths, reduced productivity due to illness, and restrictions that hinder access to both local and international markets.

These diseases have a detrimental effect on food security and the livelihoods of many farmers. The government is implementing the National Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR (2017-2027) and the Risk-Based Strategic Plan for FMD Control (2019), developed in consultation with stakeholders, including county governments.

However, Kagwe acknowledged that disease control efforts have not been consistently applied across the country, hampering the effective management of these diseases.

The World Organization for Animal Health classifies FMD and PPR as trade-sensitive diseases, making their control essential for compliance with international standards and agreements, such as the World Trade Organization Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement).