By Daniel Gitonga
Over 300 herders from various conservansies in Northern Kenya counties have graduated after training on mordern and better ways of pastoralism that conserves the environment and increasing production capacity.
This has been enabled through Ufugaji Bora Mashinani (UBM) program implemented by Northern Rangelands Trust Trading (NRTT), through its Livestock Department and funded by the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Local Works Program.
Among the 300 herders reached , 55% are women, who have benefitted from module training and practical learning in livestock breeding, feeding, animal health, livestock marketing, climate change, leadership, and governance.
Speaking during the ceremony that was held at Camp Garba Catholic Mission grounds, in Isiolo North, livestock director Dr. Bishar Elmi, said that the program is in line with bottom -Up economic transformational agenda of the national government.
He lauded the NRTT for the timely program, when the indeginious pastoralism is marred with climatic changes effects that manifest through drought that is more often than not renders the herders’ effort futile.
She termed genetics and breeding, animal feeds and animal health as the major impediment in animal production in Kenya.
To solve the issue of genetics and breeding, the director revealed that 2 Million doses of semen and artificial insemination will be given freely to farmers by the government.
To address the issue of animal feeds, Dr. Elmi said that 450 feedlots will be established in 31 counties in every ward.
“As away of dealing with animal health challenge, national annual animal vaccination will be rolled out and the entry point will be the graduates,” Dr. Elmi said.
Kevit Desai, the NRTT chairman said that the program will support war on climate change.
He called upon the beneficiaries to ensure they do things differently and apply the knowledge they had acquired to better lives.
NRT CEO Tom Lelampaa, called for creativity among the pastoralists and ensure people do things differently.
Dida Fayo, the NRT Director in Northern Kenya, said that the programs by NRTT, including, Ujuzi Manyatani , are changing lives of the people across all the conservansies.
NRTT’s Rangelands Sacco is another project that is transforming lives of over 6000 people whose 70% are women.
The programs are also in line with war on climate change whose effects are affecting livelihoods of Billions of people across the world.
