Kenya intensifies response to African Swine Fever outbreaks
Kenya has intensified measures to contain African Swine Fever (ASF) following outbreaks that have affected more than 20 farms in Kiambu County since mid-May, resulting in approximately 1,470 pig deaths.
The highly contagious disease has also been reported in Tharaka-Nithi, Busia, Embu, Kakamega, Homa Bay and Migori counties, raising concerns over its potential spread and the impact on the country’s pig-farming sector.
According to the Department of Veterinary Services, Tharaka-Nithi recorded 108 ASF cases and 97 deaths between January 5 and 11, 2026.
The department provided an update to the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee (BCOCC), chaired by Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, outlining ongoing government efforts to strengthen livestock disease surveillance, prevention and response.
The measures also seek to address risks linked to the movement of livestock and pastoralist communities across international borders, which can complicate the control of transboundary animal diseases.
Kenya is implementing the Pastoralism and Livestock Adaptation to Climate in Eastern Africa (PLACE) Programme, a €47 million initiative funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the European Union.
The programme aims to strengthen the resilience of pastoralist communities and livestock systems in Eastern Africa while addressing threats arising from disease outbreaks, climate pressures and cross-border movement.
The government is also implementing the IGAD Protocol on Transhumance, which provides a framework for managing the seasonal movement of pastoralists and livestock across international borders.
The protocol covers three pastoral clusters: the Mandera Cluster, linking Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia; the Karamoja Cluster, bringing together Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda; and the Mara-Serengeti Cluster, connecting Kenya and Tanzania.
National and sub-national authorities are working with cluster committees representing cross-border communities to promote the safe and orderly movement of pastoralists and livestock while strengthening disease prevention and control.
Interventions include vaccination campaigns against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), alongside deworming and pest-control measures.
Authorities are also working to strengthen Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) control in the Karamoja Cluster.
The coordinated approach is intended to protect livestock health and livelihoods without undermining traditional seasonal migration routes and the economic activities of pastoralist communities.
