The government will purchase livestock from pastoralists in the dry Kieni constituency in Nyeri county.
The aim is to cushion them from the adverse effects of drought occasioned by lack of enough short rains.
Laikipia county will also benefit from the programme.
According to Nyeri county commissioner Lyford Kibaara, the livestock will be purchased through the National Emergency Livestock Off-take Programme.
The programme expected to take place between December and February 2022 targets to purchase 307 unproductive livestock in Nyeri which will be slaughtered and the meat distributed to residents.
“We will be buying those affected by the drought to prevent pastoralists from incurring losses where their animals die of starvation,” he said.
Kieni has in recent years become home to pastoralists from Laikipia who enter Nyeri county to look for pasture and water during drought and end up staying there.
The administrator said an inspection team will inspect the suitability of the animals to ensure it is safe before being slaughtered and the meat distributed.
A cow will be going for Sh15,000 while goats and sheep will cost Sh3,000 each.
The beneficiaries of the take-off programme will be required to record the number of livestock they want to dispose of with their area chief or assistant chief.
After the animals are bought, the money will be sent to the herders by the Kenya Red Cross Society via mobile money transfer services.
President Uhuru Kenyatta during his Mashujaa Day speech announced that his government has allocated Sh1.5 billion for the National Emergency Livestock Off-take Programme.
The money, he said, is meant to mitigate the adverse effects of drought in arid and semi-arid counties of Isiolo, Garissa, Samburu, Tana River, Kilifi, Mandera, Kitui, Turkana, Marsabit and Wajir.
The neighbouring county of Laikipia is also set to benefit from the programme which kicked off on December 20 where the government has allocated Sh12 million for the purchase of 804 cows.
The meat will be donated to less fortunate families, people with disabilities, displaced families, breastfeeding mothers and mothers with children below five years.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
