Kakamega: The County Government of Kakamega has declared a quarantine of livestock in Malava and Lugari Sub-Counties following an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). In a notice to the public, the County Executive for Agriculture, Mophat Mandela, announced that the quarantine affects cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and related products.
According to Kenya News Agency, the department has initiated an immediate FMD vaccination campaign in the affected areas. “Vaccination will begin without delay, commencing 26 November 2025, and will continue until all the livestock within the quarantine zones have been vaccinated,” Mandela stated. The county government has pledged to cover all vaccination costs for eligible livestock.
Mandela emphasized that all provisions of the quarantine notice remain in force, prohibiting the movement of animals or animal products into or out of the affected areas without written permission from the County Director of Veterinary Services. He urged farmers and livestock owners to comply with movement restrictions and other precautions as directed by veterinary officers or inspectors.
Further directives include keeping herds of cattle off public roads and isolated, with residents instructed to dispose of carcasses through deep burial or burning. “Do not sell, move, or mix animals from affected areas. Unauthorized movement is an offence and may attract penalties under the Animal Diseases Act,” Mandela warned.
He also advised residents to boil or pasteurize milk before consumption and cautioned against selling or giving away raw milk from affected herds until the outbreak is controlled. Residents are encouraged to report suspected cases of animals showing symptoms such as fever, drooling, or blisters to Sub-County Veterinary Officers.
Vaccination will be conducted home-to-home through sub-county administration, veterinary officers, and community leaders. Mandela called for calm and cooperation with veterinary and administration teams, stressing the county government’s commitment to containing the outbreak and protecting livestock health and community livelihoods.
The FMD outbreak comes amid intensified county efforts to control disease outbreaks through mass vaccination drives and policy interventions. The county launched a countywide vaccination campaign against FMD on October 8, 2025, targeting 286,000 cattle across all 12 sub-counties. The drive, supported by the E-voucher subsidy programme, is set to last until December, with the county spending Sh31.4 million and farmers contributing Sh50 per animal for vaccination.
Additionally, the Kakamega County Livestock Sale Yard Bill, 2024, aims to restrict livestock sales to designated sale yards to promote trade and control disease outbreaks like FMD. This outbreak marks the second instance this year that the Kakamega county government is managing an FMD outbreak, following an earlier outbreak in February that was brought under control.
