Herders benefit from Marsabit livestock restocking programme

More than 150 herders of Butiye ward in Marsabit county benefitted from the County's restocking programme.

The main sources of livelihood in Marsabit County are pastoralism and agro-pastoralism.

More than 80 per cent of the population practices pastoralism and depends on livestock and its products as their main source of income.

The pastoral communities in the county are vulnerable to climatic changes that pose a major threat to livestock.

Many of them have incurred substantial losses during the drought with over 500,000 of their livestock dying from the drought.

Marsabit County Chief Officer Livestock and Veterinary Services Dr Arero Halkano and Butiye ward MCA Diid Omar Apicha presided over the distribution of livestock at Somare and Bori on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

"The beneficiaries will include widows, people with disabilities and the elderly," he said, adding that they target the most vulnerable groups to benefit from the programme.

Dr Arero said the exercise's objective is to support agro-pastoralist herders who were adversely affected by climate change.

"The county government under the leadership of Governor Mohamud Ali is committed to rebuilding the resilience of affected herders through funding socioeconomic drivers on their sources of livelihoods," he said.

The livestock and veterinary services chief officer said the program would restore hope among pastoralists who lost their livestock.

"To spur economic growth of our people who are mainly dependent on livestock, this program will benefit destitute members of our community who are pastoralists," he said

"The restocking programme is aimed at empowering communities which were affected by the climate change." 

The chief officer said his department had strived to safeguard animal health through mass vaccination as part of the county government's routine agenda to cushion herders against incurring socioeconomic losses due to the change of climate.

He warned beneficiaries against selling cows for leisure.

"The county government will monitor how the animals are doing and will offer veterinary services in case of any diseases," he said

Dr. Arero challenged partners to galvanize the government's recovery efforts by pooling resources to support affected households to withstand the shock that had been caused by climate change.

Butiye ward MCA Diid Omar Apicha said the process of identifying beneficiaries was above board as it begins at the village level where communities themselves identify the most vulnerable herders.

"The restocking programme aimed to support vulnerable herders due to the destruction of their sources of livelihoods," said area MCA.

Moyale deputy Sub-county administrator Issack Bonaya urged the recipients to take good care of the animals.

Guyo Sora and Rob Galgallo from Butiye and Somare respectively are among the beneficiaries of the program.

They were robbed of their livelihoods between 2020-2022 when drought hit the region killing their livelihoods.

Guyo still remember the herds of animals he own and how he could sell some of th animals and use the money to fend for his family.

He counts himself lucky after making it to the list of households selected to benefit from the county government restocking programme.

Galgallo Jillo from Bori junction hailed the initiative saying they will be able to sell milk and cater for their families.

"With money from cow milk, we will be able to afford meals," he said

Rob Guyo, a beneficiary of the programme hailed the county government for the intervention and said it will enable them to improve their livelihoods.

"We welcome the intervention. We have been waiting for so long," he said.