The Garissa County Government has launched a livestock vaccination and animal health campaign targeting 60,000 animals across the Dadaab catchment area in a bid to prevent disease outbreaks and protect pastoral livelihoods during the ongoing rainy season.
The campaign, led by the County Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is funded by the European Union through the Building Resilient Settlements in Kenya project.
The exercise will cover Fafi, Jarajila, Labasigale, Damajale and parts of Dadaab Ward, where increased livestock movement and convergence from within Garissa County and across the Kenya-Somalia border have heightened the risk of disease transmission.
Agriculture and Livestock docket said the movement of livestock following the onset of the rains, alongside reported cases of animal diseases in some areas, had necessitated the intervention to contain potential outbreaks.
County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture and Livestock Milgo Dubow urged livestock keepers in the targeted areas to bring their animals forward to benefit from the free services.
She said timely vaccination and access to veterinary services were critical to protecting livestock assets, sustaining pastoral livelihoods and preventing the spread of diseases across communities.
The campaign is also supported by 40 Community Disease Reporters (CDRs) trained under the EU-funded programme. The community-based responders are helping mobilise livestock keepers, guide them to vaccination centres and support the smooth delivery of services.
Their involvement is expected to strengthen grassroots disease surveillance and reporting while improving access to animal health services among pastoral households.
The launch was attended by Chief Officer for Livestock Ahmed Shidiye, Director of Livestock Services Dr Haret Hambe, veterinary officers and community representatives.
Shidiye said bringing host and refugee communities into a coordinated animal health intervention, the county government and its development partners aim to safeguard livestock resources, strengthen resilience and reduce the vulnerability of pastoral communities to disease outbreaks.
