•The county launched a mass livestock vaccination exercise in areas occupied by pastoralists.
• The animals included cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys.
Image: CHETI PRAXIDES
Lamu county has vaccinated cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys in areas occupied by pastoralists.
The initiative aims to increase herd immunity and to avoid cattle losses that can impact livestock supplies in the local and international markets.
The mass vaccination drive is in its first phase.
More than 100,000 livestock were vaccinated against the contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, black quarter, anthrax (blanthax), contagious caprine pleuropneumonia and annual pestis petit du ruminant (PPR/sheep and goat plague).
Livestock chief officer Gichohi Mathenge said the vaccination covered Pangani, Lumshi, Mkunumbi, Koreni, Lake Amu.
Other areas were Lakeside, Kiongwe Mjini, Tewe, Chalaluma, Dide Waride, Moa, Kitumbini, Witu Mjini and Nagele.
Mathenge said the drive was a partnership between the Agriculture and Livestock department and the bi-annual pest and disease control programme.
Some 27,468 cattle were inoculated against the CBPP, while 32,536 were vaccinated against blanthax.
A total of 16,832 goats were immunised against the dangerous CCPP, while pestis petit du ruminant vaccination was administered to 11,936 sheep and goats.
Mathenge said the county has been undertaking two phases of mass livestock vaccination exercises every year and the second phase will start in August and September.
“We have successfully concluded the first phase. The exercise is free,” Mathenge said.
He urged residents to avail their animals for vaccination.
“Such exercises are meant to improve the quality of animals because a large population of residents in Lamu rely on livestock rearing as their major source of livelihood,” Mathenge said.
The livestock department has on several occasions admitted that it faces challenges in controlling livestock diseases, especially during drought spells.
The region always witnesses a huge influx of livestock from Tana River and Garissa.
Lamu livestock marketing chairperson Khalif Hirbae said the mass vaccination drive had largely helped reduce livestock deaths.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
Image: CHETI PRAXIDES