Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Irrigation & Fisheries - Kajiado

19/09/2026

19/09/2026

AGRIPRENEURS POISED TO STRENGTHEN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES IN KAJIADO.

September 18, 2026, Kajiado.

For years, the challenge facing many farmers in Kajiado has not only been access to inputs or markets, but also access to timely information.

New farming technologies, disease control measures, climate-smart practices and improved livestock management techniques are only useful when they reach the farmer at the right time.

It is against this backdrop that the Kajiado County Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Irrigation and Fisheries, through the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), has successfully concluded a two-day training programme for agripreneurs drawn from Kajiado West and Kajiado North Sub-Counties.

The training was designed to equip the agripreneurs with practical knowledge and skills to support farmers and serve as an important link between farming communities and extension services. Participants were taken through various Technologies, Innovations and Management Practices (TIMPs) aimed at improving agricultural productivity, resilience and profitability.

The final day of the training focused on strengthening the capacity of agripreneurs to deliver quality services at the grassroots level, reflecting the County Government’s commitment to expanding access to agricultural advisory services and ensuring farmers receive timely and relevant support.

Speaking during the culmination of the training, Chief Officer for Agriculture and Fisheries Grace Saitoti and Chief Officer for Livestock Production Francis Metian reaffirmed the County Government’s commitment to supporting agripreneurs as key partners in agricultural development. They echoed the pledge made by County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation Francis Ole Sakuda to continue investing in agripreneur development as part of broader efforts to improve service delivery across the county.

The leaders noted that strengthening extension services remains central to the County’s agricultural transformation agenda and contributes to Governor Joseph Ole Lenku’s vision of modernised pastoralism and diversified livelihoods.

County Project Coordinator Philip Koitelel challenged the agripreneurs to uphold professionalism, integrity and discipline in their work, noting that trust and credibility are critical when working with farmers and communities.

The participants welcomed the training and expressed their readiness to work closely with farmers, extension officers and the County Government in promoting adoption of improved farming practices. They also called for continued capacity building opportunities to enable them to serve their communities more effectively.

The last mile extension services have for a long time experienced challenges key among them staff shortages. The agripreneur model is a game changer in reworking how timely and quality services are rendered to farmers across the Country.

16/09/2026

ROUTINE ASSESMENT OF LIVESTOCK SALEYARDS IN KAJIADO COUNTY.

September 16, 2026, Kajiado Central.

Officers from the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Irrigation & Fisheries - Kajiado visited Mashuuru Livestock Market in Mashuuru Town, approximately 57.2 Kms from Kajiado Town, to assess the status of the market, management and operations.

During the visit, the officers met with members of the market management committee and held discussions on the day-to-day operations of the market, its contribution to the local livestock economy, and the challenges affecting its efficient management.

Mashuuru Livestock Market handles averagely 3,000 heads of livestock at every market day, making it an important trading centre for livestock producers, traders and buyers within Kajiado County and neighbouring areas. In addition to livestock trading, the market supports a range of attendant business activities that generate income and employment for local residents.

The County Government of Kajiado has continued to strengthen the livestock marketing sector through the implementation of the Kajiado County Livestock Saleyards Act, 2020, which provides the legal framework for the management, regulation and operation of livestock saleyards across the county.

The County Director of Livestock Production Erick Ahenda, outlaid the County's plan to improve livestock marketing through investing in infrastructure and streamlining operations. He said the Livestock saleyard act opens the way for public private partnerships thus investors are encouraged to pursue collaboration with the community through the County Government.

Over the years, the County has identified, recognised and supported livestock markets through infrastructure improvements and institutional strengthening aimed at enhancing efficiency, protecting local livestock economies and creating a conducive environment for livestock trade.

16/09/2026

I held a consultative meeting with representatives from the National Government and various stakeholders to review and strengthen Kajiado County’s preparedness for the anticipated El Niño conditions.

The meeting focused on measures to mitigate and manage the potential impacts associated with El Niño, including strengthening early warning systems, coordination, response mechanisms, resource mobilization, and preparedness across all sectors.

I am pleased to report that all sectors have undertaken the necessary preparedness measures and are adequately positioned to respond to any emerging situations. The meeting also provided an opportunity for stakeholders to identify potential gaps and agree on measures to enhance coordination and timely response.

As part of the County’s preparedness efforts, the Emergency Department has set aside Ksh 30 million as seed funding to support mitigation and response interventions arising from the anticipated El Niño effects.

The County Government of Kajiado remains committed to ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to safeguard lives, livelihoods, infrastructure, and property throughout the period.

Martin Moshisho Martine Deputy Governor Kajiado

15/09/2026

KAJIADO ADOPTS LIVESTOCK FODDER TRAINING PROGRAMME.

Every dry season exposes the pressures facing livestock production in Kajiado. Herders move farther in search of pasture and water. Animals cross county and international borders, increasing the risk of disease transmission. Families spend heavily on hay brought in from other counties, while movement of fodder can also carry invasive weeds and pests into new areas. At the same time, drought, pressure on grazing land and declining pasture continue to weaken the natural feed base on which livestock production depends.

The cost is felt by livestock keepers through animal losses, reduced production and rising expenditure on feed.

Kajiado County has been working on a longer-term response. Under Governor H.E. Joseph Ole Lenku's Modulated Pastoralism agenda, the county has been pursuing ways of making livestock production more reliable through pasture development, fodder production, feed conservation and better livestock management.

This work informed the development of the Kajiado County Livestock Feed Development Strategy 2023-2033. The strategy sets out measures to increase the availability of quality and affordable livestock feed, expand fodder production, improve hay and silage making, strengthen feed markets and encourage investment in the livestock feed value chain.

The county's work has also exposed a practical question: who has the skills to produce, conserve, process and manage the feed required by a changing livestock sector?

Producing commercial fodder requires knowledge of pasture establishment, fodder agronomy, soil fertility, irrigation, harvesting, silage making and feed quality. It also requires people who can operate and maintain equipment such as balers, choppers and forage harvesters.

It is this skills gap that has brought Kajiado into the development of Kenya's first dedicated Fodder Production Technician curriculum.

The curriculum was developed through a process involving the International Labour Organization, the National Industrial Training Authority, County governments and industry stakeholders, with Kajiado among the counties involved in the work.

The training covers practical areas of fodder production, mechanisation, silage making and feed quality management. It also provides a pathway for experienced workers who acquired their skills outside formal training to have those skills recognised and certified.

For Kajiado, the curriculum fits into work already underway in the county.

Director of Livestock Production Erick Ahenda has been central to coordinating the county's work on livestock feed, bringing together technical officers, partners, training institutions and other actors around the different interventions. His involvement has also extended to the process that has produced the new fodder curriculum.

The significance for Kajiado is straightforward. A county that regularly has to look outside its borders for livestock feed needs stronger local capacity to produce and preserve fodder.

That means farmers, young people, technicians, machinery operators and fodder enterprises with the skills to support production through both good seasons and drought. The fodder curriculum adds that skills base to Kajiado's wider investment in pasture, feed production and Modulated Pastoralism.

15/09/2026

NAVCDP SACCO LEADERS QUALITY CREDIT MANAGEMENT SENSITIZATION FORUM

September 3, 2026, Ngong. Kajiado County.

Chief Officer Grace Saitoti's opening remarks.

15/09/2026

DISTRIBUTION OF SUNFLOWER SEED KAJIADO CENTRAL PILOT INITIATIVE
Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Irrigation & Fisheries - Kajiado