Kenya launches climate-smart livestock plan to combat hunger, strengthen meat industry

KENYA – The Kenyan government is developing a national master plan to introduce climate-smart livestock systems, aiming to transform the country’s livestock and meat industries and fortify food security, while also cushioning vulnerable communities from climate shocks.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, seeks to adapt animal farming practices to increasingly unpredictable environmental conditions, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. 

Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe described the plan as a long-term strategy to enhance livestock resilience and support livelihoods that depend on pastoralism.

“The livestock sector has played a key role in generating incomes and meeting the dietary needs of citizens living in arid and semi-arid lands. Hence, our determination to make it climate-resilient,” said Kagwe in a speech delivered on his behalf by Christopher Wanga, the ministry’s director of livestock policy research and regulations.

The master plan is being developed against the backdrop of severe and frequent climate disruptions—prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall, and rising temperatures—that have eroded pastoral incomes and threatened national food supplies. 

The government’s strategy not only seeks to boost livestock productivity but also to open up new economic avenues for smallholder herders and farmers.

A cornerstone of this broader transformation is the launch of Practice for Change, a US$95.7 million (KSh12.6 billion) programme backed by Heifer International. 

Set to run from 2025 to 2030, the initiative targets 625,000 smallholder livestock keepers across 25 counties. 

Its mission is to break down systemic barriers that hinder growth, such as limited access to financing, markets, and modern technology.

The programme will focus on increasing efficiency and profitability in key sub-sectors like poultry, dairy, red meat, and horticulture—all of which are crucial to Kenya’s food system but remain underserved.

“Livestock contributes around 12% of Kenya’s GDP,” Kagwe noted, “and plays a critical role not only in national food supply but also in rural employment and foreign exchange through exports.”

New tilapia welfare app launches 

As part of a wider overhaul of the agricultural sector, the government is also paying close attention to aquaculture. 

In March, Kenya launched the FAI Tilapia Welfare App as part of the Kenya Fish Welfare Project, a collaborative effort among Ethical Seafood Research (ESR), FAI Farms, and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI).

The digital tool is designed to help farmers improve fish health and farm management, particularly in tilapia farming—a growing segment in Kenya’s aquaculture industry.

Hands-on training workshops for farmers and agricultural extension officers have already begun, with the first session held in Kisumu drawing participants from nine fish-producing counties, including Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, and Vihiga.

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