Kagwe: Tech key to unlock Kenya’s livestock wealth

Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi and Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe in Mombasa on Tuesday /JOHN CHESOLI

Kenya data on the livestock contribution to the GDP is unreliable, a challenge that has to be overcome by new technology, Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe has said.

He said on Tuesday that data shows there is between four and 12 per cent contribution of livestock to the GDP, depending on the source.

This does not help in planning, the CS said.

Kagwe urged pastoralist communities, who hold about 70 per cent of Kenya’s livestock population, to embrace technology when it comes to tracking their livestock for quality assurance and policy direction.

“It is true that we have not given livestock development the attention that I believe it deserves. That also means we have not taken advantage of the effect to the economy that the livestock sector can have,” he said.

The CS spoke in Mombasa during the joint meeting between the Agriculture ministry and the 23 arid and semi-arid land counties on the livestock sector review.

He said the government aims to increase the earnings of small-scale farmers and pastoralists, increase agricultural output and value-added products, increase household food resilience and embrace data and digitisation agenda.

“Until and unless a farmer and a pastoralist is earning more, any other discussion is a waste of time,” the CS said.

Kagwe said adding value to livestock and livestock products is one of the key things that need to be done to turn around the fortunes from livestock.

“That is why we stop the export of raw macadamia nuts. We need to add value to our products and stop exporting raw products,” he said.

The CS said the government continues to review the legal and regulatory environment to strengthen the agricultural sector’s policy environment.

The government is also seeking support from development partners to address supply-side challenges in the livestock sector.

“We support regional and bilateral negotiations and cooperation in trade to enhance export market access of Kenyan produce and embrace digitalisation of agricultural services to serve the farmers and stakeholders better,” Kagwe said in Mombasa.

Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi said there is need to create a livestock economy, which he said can surpass tea, coffee, horticulture and even tourism in its contribution to Kenya’s GDP.

The livestock sector, he said, supports nearly 10 million Kenyans directly and contributes about 12 per cent of Kenya’s GDP, and about 40 per cent of the agricultural GDP.

The livestock sector is the backbone of the arid and semi-arid lands, where more than 70 per cent of Kenya’s national herd is found.

Globally, livestock is big business with the meat industry alone worth more than $1.3 trillion (about Sh168.2 trillion).

“Every year, the world consumes more than 340 million tonnes of meat, and hides and skins generate billions of dollars in exports,” Abdullahi said.

Countries like Brazil, Australia and Botswana are at the forefront of the meat, hides and skins business.

“We have a lot more livestock over a bigger area but we lack order and discipline. We lack structure,” Abdullahi said.

“With the right systems in place in Kenya, I believe our county can claim its place in this global market. But the question is, why do Kenyans see livestock as a marginal activity?” the Council of Governors chairman posed.

He said for decades, Kenya has looked at livestock mainly through the lens of subsistence, survival and food security.

“But the lesson from Namibia, Uruguay and Botswana is clear: livestock is not just about keeping animals, it is about creating systems. Systems for breeding, marketing, animal health, traceability and value addition,” he said.

Abdullahi said time has come for Kenya to design and implement its own livestock blueprint.

“We must invest in infrastructure for value addition. Facilities like the Isiolo abattoir, and the Wajir and Garissa transport hubs are assets that can anchor regional meat and livestock exports,” he said.

However, these must be fully operationalised, co-financed by counties and private investors, and plugged into global supply chains, the governor noted.

Abdullahi said without strong veterinary services and modern traceability like Animal Identification and Traceability (Anitrac), Kenya will remain locked out of premium export markets.

Disease control, surveillance and certification must be harmonised across counties to meet international standards.

“Livestock is often sold in fragmented, informal markets. By building cooperatives and county livestock boards, we can aggregate supply, stabilise prices and empower pastoralists," he said.

“Our pastoral economy lives and dies with the climate. Droughts wipe out herds worth billions. By using early warning systems, drought insurance and climate-smart planning, we can protect livelihoods before disaster strikes.” 

“We need a National Livestock Development Fund working alongside county funds to support the entire value chain from production, to processing, to exports,” he said, adding that no agency or actor can unlock this sector potential alone.

He said in Botswana, all livestock farmers are registered and rearing animals without registration could land one in jail.

All livestock must be tagged and the chips used to tag the animals are sold by the government.

“If you are found with animals without tags, you are jailed for 10 years. They have disease-free zones, the red zones and the green zones,” Abdullahi said of their benchmarking trip to Botswana.

Diseased animals are quarantined and treated to contain the disease. If they cannot contain the disease, they cull the animals and compensate the owners, Abdullahi said, calling on Kenya to think along those lines.

The Wajir governor said ironically, all those who were showing them around and explaining how their industry works studied at Kenya’s Egerton University and the University of Nairobi.

“What we need is a mindset shift,” Abdulahi said.

He said lack of information sharing also makes the livestock industry in Kenya difficult to operate.

On resources, Abdullahi said it is ironical that Kenya gives a paltry three per cent of its budget to agriculture yet the country says agriculture is the backbone of the country’s economy.

“And of that three per cent, only 10 per cent is given to livestock farmers. We cannot compete with the big livestock countries like Uruguay and Brazil,” the Wajir governor said. 

Instant Analysis:

Agriculture CS Kagwe says technology is the key to creating modern-day agripreneurs. He said most of those who call themselves agripreneurs are quacks. He said without data, decisions cannot be made.