Wajir mass vaccination drive targets 1.2 million animals

Wajir county has launched a month-long mass vaccination campaign targeting at least 1.2 million animals. 

The drive will be conducted by the Livestock and Veterinary Services department  in all six subcounties. The vaccination will be free of charge.

Camels, cows, goats and sheep will be vaccinated against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP), sheep and goat pox (SGP) and Rift Valley fever (RVF).

The Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project will provide other supportive treatments.

Speaking on Sunday at the county headquarters when he launched the drive, Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi said the vaccination would go a long way in building immunity of livestock, hence increasing productivity and income.

“Livestock farming is the backbone of our economy. As a county, we will do everything possible to make sure that our farmers do not incur losses,” he said.

A pre-vaccination surveillance report conducted by the vet team showed sporadic prevalence of PPR, CCPP and SGP diseases in livestock in the region.

But the governor said they decided to include RVF in the vaccination drive to build the immunity of livestock.

“I also urge members of the public, in particular the pastoralists, to take advantage of the free vaccination, deworming and supportive treatment for their livestock,” the governor said.

Veterinary services county director George Kiprono said the drive would help boost household food security and curb transmission of diseases.

"We want to make it clear that the exercise is free. Our teams will be dispatched to all the subcounties,” he said.

The governor also launched microproject grant funds for beneficiary groups within the six Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project implementing wards in the county.

KCSAP is one of the government's projects under the North and Northeastern Initiative (Nedi). The project is being implemented in 24 counties in Kenya, Wajir included.

The governor urged more residents to venture into crop farming, saying the ever-changing climate is continuously making it difficult for them to just focus on pastoralism.