Families affected by drought in Samburu will benefit from a Sh23.7 million livestock off-take programme.
Through the programme, emaciated animals are bought from the community and slaughtered for consumption by the same community to improve nutrition.
Samburu Central deputy county commissioner Titus Omanyi said the national government, through the Kenya Meat Commission, is working with the Kenya Red Cross Society to buy and slaughter 1,586 cows, sheep and goats in the county.
He spoke during a subcounty steering group meeting.
Omanyi said 500 animals would be bought and slaughtered in Samburu North, another 500 in Samburu East and 586 in Samburu Central.
Each cow will be bought at Sh15,000 and Sh3,000 for a sheep or goat.
Omanyi said the government has wired the funds to Kenya Red Cross to ensure cashless payments are made to increase the purchasing power of residents.
"The government will buy animals from the most vulnerable households in society, such as women-led households, orphans, widows, people with disabilities and families not on any cash transfer programme," he said.
He said one cow can feed 10 families while a goat can feed four families. In targeted public institutions, such as secondary schools, one cow can feed 50 students.
The off-take programme will end on July 31.
During the meeting, it emerged that Samburu Central had lost more than 40 per cent of its livestock population to drought.
The last off-take programme was in 2017.