NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 30 – The nationwide livestock vaccination campaign was launched this afternoon in Kisargei, Segera Ward, Laikipia North Sub-county.
The event was attended by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu, Council of Governors (CoG) Chair Ahmed Abdillahi (Wajir), Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere, Livestock Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke, Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Director Dr. Allan Azegele, and Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute (KEVEVAPI) CEO Dr. Alex Sabuni, among other dignitaries.
Speaking at the launch, Kagwe emphasized that the vaccination drive is voluntary and will be carried out over the next three years. The campaign aims to vaccinate 22 million cattle, 23 million sheep, 35 million goats, and 4.3 million additional cattle to eliminate Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR). These diseases are classified as “trade-sensitive” transboundary animal diseases by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), and Kenya is seeking disease-free certification.
Achieving this status will improve animal health, boost production and market quality, and reverse annual economic losses of up to Ksh 62 billion caused by market closures, treatment costs, and high mortality rates.
Kagwe noted that Kenya has signed trade agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the European Union (EU), which have economies worth USD 850 billion and 17 trillion euros, respectively. However, the presence of these diseases threatens Kenya’s ability to access these lucrative markets. The vaccination campaign is a key step in addressing this challenge.
Under the Kenya Kwanza Administration’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), the government aims to increase the livestock sector’s contribution to GDP from 12% to 20% by 2027. The campaign aligns with the National Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR (2017-2027) and the Risk-Based Strategic Plan for FMD Control (2019), developed in collaboration with county governments. However, the lack of coordinated implementation has hindered past disease control efforts.
Kagwe reassured farmers that the vaccines being used are locally produced by KEVEVAPI, a state agency established in 1990. The institute, which evolved from the Vaccine Production Laboratory (VPL), has been manufacturing FMD vaccines since 1964 and PPR vaccines since 2006. KEVEVAPI’s Fotivax™ is used for FMD, while Pestevax™ is for PPR, ensuring the availability of high-quality, safe, and effective vaccines for national use and export.
Last year, over three million sheep and goats and more than 570,000 cattle were vaccinated against PPR and FMD in Kitui, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, and Wajir counties. Laikipia was selected as the launch site due to its central location, high livestock population, and a mix of dairy and pastoral farming systems. The campaign targets vaccinating approximately 345,000 cattle and 936,000 sheep and goats in Laikipia.
The Ministry of Agriculture acknowledged the cooperation of county governments, the Council of Governors, and National Government Administration officers in mobilizing farmers and ensuring the campaign’s success. Farmers were urged to take advantage of the free vaccination program to protect their livestock and secure Kenya’s position in international markets.
