The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) has partnered with regional livestock stakeholders to develop a project proposal to boost livestock trade and exports across Eastern Africa.
Funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), the initiative will be implemented jointly by KALRO and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Its goal is to support a coordinated regional strategy that strengthens biosafety, disease control, and traceability systems critical to animal trade.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ briefing in Nairobi, KALRO Deputy Director General for Livestock, Dr Evans Ilatsia, said the proposal seeks to address key barriers that hinder the region’s competitiveness.
He said the project is designed to enhance compliance with international sanitary standards and improve trade performance in Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Dr Ilatsia underscored the need to reinforce livestock identification, certification, biosecurity, disease surveillance, and laboratory diagnostic systems.
“These are very important components if we are to conquer the export market,” he said. “The East African region already exports significantly to the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia. However, to match exporters like Australia, we must enhance our systems and take control of our own export capacity.”
He added that although the project is still in its development phase, it will be pivotal in positioning Kenya and neighbouring countries to meet global export requirements. He also commended the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) for its continued support in strengthening Kenya’s livestock trade systems.
Animal health and agricultural research consultant Dr Henry Wamwayi stressed the need to involve trade experts and attachés in efforts to expand livestock exports. He called for deeper collaboration between veterinary authorities and trade ministries to better understand market demands.
“Trade attachés are the ones tasked with promoting commodities abroad. Engaging them ensures that we address the issues necessary to effectively promote exports,” he said.
Drawing on global examples, Dr Wamwayi pointed to India, Australia, and Gulf nations, where dedicated export-promotion agencies have bolstered livestock trade. He also cited Somalia’s renewed access to Gulf markets after establishing quarantine stations that meet international sanitary standards.
He emphasised transparency in reporting animal diseases as essential for market confidence. “If you report disease outbreaks honestly, you build credibility. If you do not report, yet diseases are present, your credibility as a country is at stake,” he said.
Dr Wamwayi also noted broader issues such as environmental sustainability, cultural practices, and national security that influence livestock movement and disease prevention. He urged stronger strategies to curb informal and illegal cross-border livestock trade, which continues to undermine disease control.
On animal nutrition, he highlighted the need for high-quality feed free from chemical and antibiotic residues, and called for integrating ongoing feed-improvement initiatives into national trade frameworks.
Dr Monika Maichomo, Director of the KALRO Veterinary Research Institute and lead proponent of the new project, outlined several technologies KALRO has developed to support farmers. These include the thermostable Newcastle disease vaccine, now commercially scaled; the East Coast Fever (ECF) vaccine being rolled out under a regulated commercial model; mastitis diagnostic kits; and feed supplements and blocks designed to support animals during periods of nutritional stress.
She said the project aims to pilot a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to strengthen the trade of live animals and ensure compliance with Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards required in premium export markets.
“Farmers have long faced fragmented solutions,” she said. “This pilot aims to create an integrated model that supports live-animal traders, aligns with international requirements, and ultimately improves farmers’ livelihoods.”
The initiative unites farmers, policymakers, researchers, private-sector players, and international organisations in a shared effort to enhance Eastern Africa’s capacity to export livestock competitively and sustainably.
Stakeholders expressed optimism that once approved and funded, the next phase of the project will help establish a stronger livestock export system that meets global standards and expands income opportunities for farmers across the region.
