Kenyan Pastoralists Get Sh7.7 Billion World Bank Support

By: Kiarie Njoroge
Date: August 1st 2016
Source: AllAfrica.com / Daily Nation

Pastoralists are set to benefit from a Sh7.7 billion World Bank loan expected to ease losses related to drought and disease.

The financing is expected to cater for a range of activities including water provision, re-seeding of rangelands, animal vaccination and storing fodder to ensure increased yields for about 93,000 pastoralist households.

Clashes between pastoralists over pasture and water have intensified in recent years as climate change-driven droughts become more severe.

"Pastoralists face unique challenges because they also live in the most under-resourced areas in Kenya, and this project will help mitigate some of them," Diarietou Gaye, World Bank Country Director for Kenya said.

The World Bank said the project which targets pastoralists in 14 counties aims to reduce the death rate of cattle by 30 per cent and increase the value of livestock traded in selected project markets by 10 per cent.

The 14 beneficiary counties are Turkana, Garissa, Isiolo, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, Wajir, West Pokot, Tana River, Baringo, Narok, Kajiado, Laikipia and Lamu.

Designing and rehabilitating

Among the project components is designing and rehabilitating of 178 water facilities at a cost of Sh1.86 billion in the next three years. These include water pans, earth dams, boreholes, shallow wells and rock catchments. Staff will also be trained to maintain these water sources.The project also involves rehabilitating of 6,400 acres of rangelands at a cost of Sh156 million.

"Pasture in the rangelands will be harvested during periods of rain and the hay stored can then be used during drought spells," Andrew Tuimur, the Principal Secretary, State Department for Livestock said.

It will also include disseminating market-related information to pastoralists and building of market infrastructures like holding/auction grounds.The animals will be vaccinated especially along major livestock corridors to reduce deaths from common diseases like foot-and-mouth and contagious caprine pleuro pneumonia.

"The focus on livestock corridors like in Laikipia is based on the reality that seasonal and cross-border movements are a crucial feature of pastoralist livelihoods and coping mechanisms against droughts and conflicts." Philip Jespersen, the task team leader for the project said.The arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) are home to about 10 million Kenyans who own approximately 80 per cent of the country's livestock population.

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