NAIROBI, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Thursday launched the 2.1-billion-shilling (about 16.2 million U.S. dollars) National Livestock Sector El Nino Preparedness and Anticipatory Action Plan.
Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mutahi Kagwe underscored the government's commitment to protecting Kenya's livestock economy proactively before losses occur.
"The 2023 El Nino and the 2024 long rains floods caused devastating losses to our livestock farmers, destroyed critical infrastructure and triggered disease outbreaks that set back the sector significantly," Kagwe said in a statement issued in Isiolo County in eastern Kenya.
"We therefore need to learn from our experiences, and this is the reason we are determined to ensure that our farmers and pastoralists are not caught unprepared," he added.
The initiative follows advisories from the Kenya Meteorological Department forecasting heightened risks of heavy rainfall, flash floods, and localized inundation across key regions.
Prioritizing proactive intervention over post-disaster recovery, the plan targets 24 high-risk counties with heavy livestock concentrations.
Government projections indicate the strategy will protect livestock value chains, prevent disease outbreaks, minimize herd losses, and cut national disaster recovery costs. ■