NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 29 \u2013 The government has initiated a ring vaccination program in select regions ahead of a nationwide livestock immunization campaign, in response to a surge in outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and other livestock infections.<\/p>\n
During a press briefing at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Wednesday, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura confirmed the implementation of emergency containment measures, including livestock movement restrictions and the closure of markets in affected counties.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government has invoked control measures as stipulated in the Animal Diseases Control Act (Cap 364) to manage these outbreaks,\u201d Mwaura stated.<\/p>\n
He highlighted that major livestock markets in Kakamega, West Pokot, and Trans Nzoia counties, including Shinyalu and Lubao in Kakamega, Chepararia in West Pokot, and Sikhendu and Sibanga in Trans Nzoia, have been closed indefinitely to curb the spread of the disease.<\/p>\n
Mwaura further confirmed that ring vaccination efforts are underway in the affected areas, targeting high-risk livestock ahead of the full rollout of the national vaccination program.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Kakamega County, 2,500 cattle, 200 sheep and goats, and 19 pigs have already been vaccinated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also revealed that 4,000 doses of FMD vaccines have been sent to Trans Nzoia County, with mass vaccinations expected to begin soon.<\/p>\n
Mwaura urged farmers in affected areas to vaccinate their livestock privately to enhance immunity against the disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ongoing vaccination efforts are crucial to preventing further spread and protecting livestock across the country. I call upon all farmers and the public to support this initiative,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n
The spokesperson explained that FMD has long been a significant challenge for Kenya\u2019s livestock sector, with recurring outbreaks affecting farmers\u2019 livelihoods and the economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe recurring outbreaks of livestock diseases in Kenya are a major setback to the livestock sub-sector,\u201d Mwaura said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese outbreaks jeopardize not only animal health but also the livelihoods of farmers who rely on their livestock for income.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral infection that causes severe losses in milk production, reproduction, and growth. The current outbreak was first reported in Trans Nzoia County in November 2024, with cases in Cherangany, Kwanza, Kiminini, Saboti, and Endebess sub-counties. Laboratory tests at the National FMD Referral Laboratory confirmed the presence of the type O serotype of the virus.<\/p>\n
By January 2025, the disease had spread to West Pokot County, with cases recorded in Chepararia, and to Kakamega County, where outbreaks were reported in Shinyalu and Malava sub-counties. Laboratory tests for the Kakamega cases are still pending.<\/p>\n
Mwaura assured that the government is in the final stages of preparing a national livestock vaccination program, which, once rolled out, will protect livestock across the country from future disease outbreaks and ensure the sustainability of Kenya\u2019s livestock industry, a key economic sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis national vaccination program will be a game-changer for the livestock sector, helping us better prepare for future outbreaks and protect our farmers,\u201d Mwaura concluded.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 29 \u2013 The government has initiated a ring vaccination program in select regions ahead of a nationwide livestock immunization campaign, in response to a surge in outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and other livestock infections. During a press briefing at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Wednesday, Government Spokesperson […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108995"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108995\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}