By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, June 29, 2026 - The government has stepped up efforts to transform the livestock sector in Kenya's Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) by advancing plans to establish County Livestock Investment Companies (CLICs), a flagship initiative aimed at empowering pastoralist communities through commercial livestock production.
Principal Secretary for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke said he had convened leaders from the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Kenya Development Corporation (KDC), ZEP-RE, the World Bank, the Kenya Livestock Marketing Board and Strathmore University Business Consulting to advance the legal and shareholding framework for the proposed companies.
According to Mueke, the County Livestock Investment Companies will bring together smallholder livestock keepers across 21 ASAL counties into cooperative structures, enabling them to access skills, financing, value addition opportunities and reliable markets.
He said the initiative is designed to improve livestock quality, increase productivity and connect farmers to premium domestic and international markets, ultimately creating sustainable wealth for livestock-dependent communities.
"The commercialisation of our livestock sector has begun," the PS said, describing the initiative as a key step in modernising one of Kenya's most important economic sectors.
The initiative aligns with the Kenya Kwanza administration's broader agenda of transforming livestock from a subsistence activity into a commercially viable industry. President William Ruto has in recent months reiterated the government's commitment to investing in livestock value chains, expanding access to markets, strengthening disease control systems, improving breeding programmes and increasing investments in livestock infrastructure such as abattoirs, livestock markets and feed production.
More from Kenya
The President has also pledged greater support for pastoralist communities through initiatives aimed at increasing the value of livestock exports while improving incomes for farmers in the ASAL region.
The latest move comes as many ASAL counties continue to recover from successive droughts that have devastated livelihoods in recent years. The prolonged dry conditions resulted in the loss of millions of livestock, reduced household incomes and heightened food insecurity across northern and eastern Kenya.
Although improved rainfall in recent seasons has supported pasture regeneration and livestock recovery in many areas, the government says long-term resilience will depend on commercialising the sector, improving market access and creating sustainable investment models that shield pastoral communities from future climate shocks.
The proposed County Livestock Investment Companies are expected to play a central role in that transformation by enabling pastoralists to participate more effectively in organised livestock markets while attracting investment into the sector.