Search

Land degradation, loss of access to land resources, climate variability, socio-economic changes, and population increase are among the factors that contribute to forage shortage among the pastoral communities. The loss of forage is critical, especially when droughts are frequent and prolonged. Interventions to improve pastoralists' resilience include policies that encourage livelihood diversification, that is, promoting enterprises that are less impacted by climate variability. This paper evaluates a reseeding project among pastoralists from Lake Baringo, Kenya, with the goal of rehabilitating degraded lands. Field owners participated in a survey and answered both quantitative and qualitative questions relating to their field and household characteristics. We use livestock herd size to assess households' conditions. We hypothesize that field characteristics including total land size reseeded, the total number of fields and the number of field locations, years of experience of working in reseeded fields, type of management, fencing, and the number of income-generating activities have an effect on herd size maintenance during drought. We find that the total number of fields and the number of income-generating activities have significant explanatory power in predicting a household's ability to maintain its herd size during drought. These factors are related to fine-scale control over land use which contributes to maintaining herd size. These findings suggest that reseeding by local pastoralists could be replicated and up-scaled into other dryland counties of Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa as a promising intervention to improve resilience to climate variability, alleviate poverty, and improve environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of climate change to the dryland areas of East Africa are especially strong, especially if it is considered that these areas have weak institutions and governance systems. Climate change has also affected many rural communities in a severe way, reducing crop yields and sometimes causing crop failure. In Kenya and Tanzania, where drylands cover over around 80 and 50% of their respective land areas, rural populations have been especially affected. Among them is the tribal group of the Maasai, legendary nomad warriors, who have been suffering from persistent droughts and the negative impacts on their cattle herds. This paper describes how climate change affects the Maasai communities in Kenya and the changes seen in their habits and diet, in order to adapt to a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kenya is facing irreconcilable tensions by competing interests from conservationists, tourism developers and pastoralists. Concerns arising from the well-being of flora and, in particular, fauna by conservationists; tourists and commercial tourism; and the increasingly restricted use of traditional lands and herding animals by pastoralist indigenous communities, have populated the discourse of land use in Kenya. In this paper, we look into the varying perceptions of each group of stakeholders and seek to analyse the current narrative that gives priority to wildlife protection and the commercial exploitation of wildlife through high-end tourism development to the detriment of the rights and interests of pastoralism. As pastoral land becomes more appropriated, our analysis shows that the antagonistic relationship between conservationism, commercial tourism and pastoralism is likely to deteriorate. We, therefore, propose a more participatory model of tourism development that will allow pastoralist communities to have a voice in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brucellosis is a neglected zoonotic disease that affects both animals and humans, causing debilitating illness in humans and socio-economic losses in livestock-keeping households globally. The disease is endemic in many developing countries, including Kenya, but measures to prevent and control the disease are often inadequate among high-risk populations. This study aimed to investigate the human and livestock seroprevalence of brucellosis and associated risk factors of Brucella spp. in a pastoralist region of northern Kenya. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a two-stage cluster sampling method to select households, livestock, and humans for sampling. Blood samples were collected from 683 humans and 2157 animals, and Brucella immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on potential risk factors associated with human and animal exposures. Risk factors associated with Brucella spp. exposures in humans and livestock were identified using Multivariate logistic regression. Results: The results indicated an overall livestock Brucella spp. seroprevalence of 10.4% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 9.2–11.7). Camels had the highest exposure rates at 19.6% (95% CI: 12.4–27.3), followed by cattle at 13.2% (95% CI: 9.3–17.1), goats at 13.1% (95% CI: 11.1–15.3) and sheep at 5.4% (95% CI: 4.0–6.9). The herd-level seroprevalence was 51.7% (95% CI, 47.9–55.7). Adult animals (Adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 2.3, CI = 1.3–4.0), female animals (aOR = 1.7, CI: 1.1–2.6), and large herd sizes (aOR = 2.3, CI = 1.3–4.0) were significantly associated with anti-brucella antibody detection while sheep had significantly lower odds of Brucella spp. exposure compared to cattle (aOR = 1.3, CI = 0.8–2.1) and camels (aOR = 2.4, CI = 1.2–4.8). Human individual and household seroprevalences were 54.0% (95 CI, 50.2–58.0) and 86.4% (84.0–89.0), respectively. Significant risk factors associated with human seropositivity included being male (aOR = 2.1, CI:1.3–3.2), residing in Sericho ward (aOR = 1.6, CI:1.1–2.5) and having no formal education (aOR = 3.0, CI:1.5–5.9). There was a strong correlation between human seropositivity and herd exposure (aOR = 1.6, CI:1.2–2.3). Conclusions: The study provides evidence of high human and livestock exposures to Brucella spp. and identifies important risk factors associated with disease spread. These findings emphasize the need for targeted prevention and control measures to curb the spread of brucellosis and implement a One Health surveillance to ensure early detection of the disease in Isiolo County, Northern Kenya. Author summary: Brucellosis is a priority zoonotic disease in Kenya that causes human illness and socio-economic losses in livestock-keeping households. We conducted a linked human-livestock study to investigate the seroprevalence of Brucella spp.. We also identified risk factors associated with brucellosis seropositivity. The study found a high seroprevalence in humans and animals and identified significant risk factors associated with livestock exposure, which included adult animals, female animals, and large herd sizes. In humans, significant risk factors included being male, residing in a specific ward, and having no formal education. We also found a strong correlation between human seropositivity and herd exposure. Implementing interventions such as promoting public awareness about the disease, safe handling of livestock and livestock products, and livestock vaccinations can potentially reduce the disease transmission in livestock and spill over to humans. Future studies should examine the efficacy of measures that reduce these risk factors to mitigate the spread of brucellosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frankincense is an oleo-gum-resin collected from wild Boswellia spp. trees, and widely used in perfumery, cosmetics, aromatherapy, incense, and other industries. Boswellia rivae, growing in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya, is one source of frankincense, but is little-commercialized compared to species such as B. sacra, B. frereana, and B. papyrifera. In this study, we examine the resin essential oil chemistry and harvesting systems of B. rivae in order to evaluate its potential for increased trade and potential positive livelihood benefits. Boswellia rivae produces an essential oil rich in α-thujene (0.1–12.4%), α-pinene (5.5–56.4%), β-pinene (0.3–13.0%), δ-3-carene (0.1–31.5%), p-cymene (1.4–31.2%), limonene (1.8–37.3%), β-phellandrene (tr-5.6%), trans-pinocarveol (0.1–5.0%), trans-verbenol (0.1–11.2%), and trans-β-elemene (0–5.7%), similar to major commercial species, although it is difficult to detect mixing of B. rivae and Commiphora africana resins from chemistry alone. The B. rivae trees are not actively tapped, so resin collection has a neutral impact on the health of the trees, and resin production is unaffected by drought. Consequently, collecting resins acts as a key income supplementing livestock herding, as well as a safety net protecting pastoral communities from the severe negative effects of climate change-exacerbated drought on livestock. Therefore, Boswellia rivae is well positioned chemically, ecologically, and socially to support expanded trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-seasonal forecasts provide forecast information on the 1-4 week timescale and are produced by a number of global weather forecast providers, including the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The development and application of new sub-seasonal forecasting products in the agricultural sectors of Ghana and Kenya are described. Using a co-production approach transforms the role of the forecast user from merely a recipient of forecast information to being involved in the forecast product development process. Experiences of co-producing sub-seasonal forecast products for agricultural application in Kenya and Ghana. [Extracted from the article]

The African savannah ecosystem is populated by nomadic pastoralists who herd livestock in the day and corral them at night in temporary enclosures, called bomas, to protect them. The number and distribution of bomas on the savannah is important from an ecological perspective and may have a significant impact on wildlife movement. However, no study has yet examined this relationship. Here, using very high‐resolution satellite imagery from two time periods, we quanitified changes in boma distribution and density across an area of 3377 km2 in the Laikipia‐Samburu ecosystem of northern Kenya between 2011 and 2019. To assess wildlife movement in relation to bomas, we used a GPS data set on African bush elephant Loxodonta africana movement from 27 collared matriarchs representing herds of 9–15, covering 112 467 hourly GPS fixes over 31 months between 2018 and 2020. Our results showed a more than 46% increase in the total number of human‐built structures between 2011 and 2019, the majority of which were bomas, representing a 21.9% increase in human‐modified land area. Elephants readily adjusted their foraging habits and itineraries in this habitat shared with humans, who were also nomadic in space and time. Assessing the night–day activity ratio, we found elephants move more nocturnally when in closer proximity to bomas, particularly during the dry season. This temporal separation means elephants avoid the times humans are active in and around bomas while still accessing required resources—water and forage. The temporal shift was stronger during the dry season when shared resources are scarce. Using daily travel distance as a metric, we show elephants moved further in closer proximity to bomas which was likely linked to the need to travel between forage patches. Given the rise in human settlements, understanding the consequences of animals' behavioral adjustments is critical to understand the long‐term population viability of elephant populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrent droughts and long-term changes to climate, social structures, and the economy in the world's arid and semi-arid lands have impacted pastoralists' livelihood activities over time, resulting in different livelihood pathways. Some pastoralists continue to follow more traditional strategies of herd accumulation, while others frequently engage in livestock markets and value addition activities, and others still are dropping out of pastoralism. Using data collected over 6 years from 924 households in northern Kenya and applying a generalized structural dynamic multinomial logit model, this study quantitatively determined the dynamic transitions between livelihood categories conditional on drought incidences. From the results, there were considerable and frequent transitions between livelihood pathways within the panel period (2009–2015). Notably, many households that started in the low-cash income, larger herd size category denoted as hanging in, were transitioning to lower cash income with small herds (dropping out). At the same time, there was a great deal of back and forth between the category with low-cash income and small herd size (dropping out) and the category with higher cash income and small herd size (moving out), indicating that moving out was the only way out of poverty. Also, an increase in vegetation index from a drought season where the index was at a 10% level to a good season where the level was 90% decreased the likelihood of households dropping out from a predicted probability of 37.9 to 28.7% and increased the likelihood of moving up and moving out from 22.2 to 25.0% and 22.6 to 34.3%, respectively, unconditionally. The study findings imply that any livelihood interventions aimed at reducing the impact of drought and alleviating poverty among pastoral households should support the transition to market-oriented, relatively successful pathways and also protect households from falling back into the ranks of poverty by dropping out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, biosecurity is instrumental in prevention, control and management of livestock diseases and protection of human health. It is defined, prescribed, adopted and enforced through global, regional and national frameworks, laws, policies and strategies. There is more biosecurity practice research conducted in developed countries than developing ones. Consequently, the gap between the ideals recommended in biosecurity frameworks and what is practical in under-resourced rural settings is poorly understood. This anthropological study sought to assess adoption of biosecurity practices across a cattle, sheep and goat value chains continuum to demonstrate where risks lie. The cross-sectional mixed-methods study took place in Baringo County, Kenya. Qualitatively, it utilized 26 focus group discussions with community members and 10 observational interviews with slaughter facility workers. Quantitatively, it included a household survey with 560 community members and a separate survey with 231 livestock traders. Results show that producers, traders and slaughter facility workers did observe some biosecurity practices but not others due but not limited to personal preference, limitations in veterinary service delivery and enforcement of some biosecurity measures, and lack of requisite infrastructure. The study concludes that the implementation of biosecurity measures in rural settings is more complex than envisioned in biosecurity policies and frameworks. It can be hampered by resource limitations, poor enforcement, and contestations with cultural practices. The study recommends that further studies on willingness to adopt biosecurity measures targeting community members in under-resourced settings be conducted to identify possible critical points of intervention at county and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the gap in understanding the performance of emerging private agricultural advisory service (AAS) models in developing country contexts, in relation to their dual objectives of supporting farmer-clients and becoming profitable agribusinesses themselves. Multiple case study of Service Providers Enterprises (SPEs), an emerging youth-led agribusiness model offering silage making and other services in the Kenyan dairy sector. Using mixed methods, data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, from eight sampled SPEs, 72 farmers, and key informants across four counties. The results show SPEs' contribution to some changes in farmers' practices, including improvement in milk production, but with some limitations to optimal technical performance. SPEs' mixed business performance is linked to limited market demand, seasonality, and limited fit of some services offered, highlighting gaps in entrepreneurial and market orientation of such agribusinesses, compounded by a challenging operating environment. This evidence implies enhancing the contribution of such service agri-enterprises – in transforming agri-food systems and offering employment opportunities especially for youth – requires targeted and sustained policy and program support in business incubation, market development, and strengthening the value proposition to farmer-clients. The dual perspective on performance expands theoretical perspectives for assessing AAS, especially in relation to commercialization. The emphasis is on the mutuality of substantive demand and economic viability of these services, which is reliant on certain market maturity. This article is a novel attempt to assess private AAS models from both a technical perspective and regarding their viability as agri-enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock production in arid and semi-arid areas is an important source of household food and income. Selling or buying of livestock and their products is important among pastoral communities who derive their source of livelihoods from livestock production. This study sought to determine factors that influence the initial decision of pastoral communities to participate in livestock markets and the extent or level of participation in livestock markets. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data from pastoralists through face-to-face interview. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Heckman two-stage selection model that allows for determination of the discrete probability of participation and the extent of participation. The results show that most households participated in the livestock markets as sellers rather than buyers with herd recruitment and restocking for market participants being mainly through birth, borrowing or loaning female cows from friends. The number of livestock sold or bought by pastoralists at any given market price was significantly affected by the non-price constraints such as distance to the market, group marketing, age and education level. The decision of whether to participate and the level of market participation were significantly determined by pastoralists attaining and maintaining sufficiently large herd sizes and hence become willing to liquidate animals through the market. Sole emphasis on livestock marketing may not significantly manage risks unless there is proper understanding of pastoral long-term incentives to keep livestock. Therefore, developing livestock markets in pastoral areas should be along with investment on rangeland rehabilitation that enables reciprocal access of resources which allows them to maximize herd sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken in Laikipia County, Kenya, to identify factors influencing the choices of strategies by pastoralists to adapt to climate change. The study particularly evaluates the role of perceived climate extremes (frequency of dry spells and droughts), early warning information, and access to private ranch grazing, in determining response decisions to climate change. Besides, we test if households jointly adopt climate change adaptation strategies. The primary data collected from 440 sample households was analyzed using the multivariate probit (MVP) model. In the MVP model, we consider the following measures: increased mobility (distance & frequency), storage/purchase of fodder, change in water management, partial shift to other livelihoods, and herd management. The results reveal that these adaptation strategies are jointly adopted by pastoralists as complements and substitutes. From the empirical result, the perceived increase in the number of dry spells and drought, access to early warning information, access to private ranch grazing, main market distance from homesteads, and the highest level of education in the household are the key determinants of the choices of adaptation strategies to cope with drought and climate change. From a policy perspective, this research contributes to the ongoing debate on best practices by addressing climate change-related challenges in semi-arid land management. Therefore, there is a need for early warning institutions to increase their visibility in the semi-arid areas by exploring effective methods of delivering climate risk information in good time. Improving access to market and private ranch grazing should be promoted in the Kenyan semi-arid areas. Given that pastoralists' perceptions of climate change and climate risk is a decisive variable in adaptation decision-making, there is need to improve the understanding of pastoralists' changing climatic conditions. Furthermore, since the results indicate that mobility and storage of fodder are substitutes, the adoption of hay production could become a key production strategy for pastoralists which will increase the competitiveness of their livestock in the market and increase milk production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use and Land Cover Changes (LULCC) are a major cause of environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) drylands and hence a serious problem to sustainable utilization and development of those lands. Involving communities in their detection and identification can empower and convince them of the importance of adopting practices that minimize their undesirable impacts. In this study, we applied a GIS assisted community participatory approach to detect LULCC, their drivers and effects in the drylands of mid rift valley Kenya. Focus group discussions, key informant and household head interviews were corroborated with three Landsat images for three periods of 1980, 1995 and 2019. Results from community interviews and focus group discussion reported increasing trends in cropland and shrubland, Declining trend were reported in livestock mobility, livestock herd size, forest land and natural grasses. The GIS analysis reported increase of cropland from 370 Ha to 2889 Ha, increase in shrubland by 4.2%, expansion of Lake Baringo by 1.4%, decrease in forest cover by 1.2% and decrease in natural grass pastures by 1.1%. Major driving forces for LULCC were identified as population growth, insecurity caused by cattle rustling, government policies and interventions, poor agricultural practices, drought and climate change. From the outcomes of this study, we recommended government policy strategies and interventions that support adoption of practices that mitigate adverse effects of LULCC including sustainable grazing schemes, rehabilitation of already degraded land, community participation in watershed management and adoption of soil and water conservation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya face increasing water security risks attributable to disruptions in their socio-ecological environments. Sedentarized pastoralists, women, and children are most vulnerable to spatial-temporal variations in water availability. This vulnerability is exacerbated by embedded power relations within existing socio-cultural and water governance systems. A preliminary study carried out in 2016 examined pastoralist women's disempowerment in relation to the domestic water security constraints they face. The research found anecdotal evidence that women with diversified livelihoods and social capital are more resilient to water stress. The follow-on study was carried out in 2018 and aimed to provide empirical evidence on factors behind water security and to identify factors that enhance resilience for vulnerable pastoralist communities. The study covered both urban and rural communities in Samburu County and applied a mixed-methods research methodology incorporating quantitative and qualitative research approaches. The study was also used to test a scale for measuring household water insecurity which could potentially improve the methodology for assessing shock-related stress in these high-risk communities. Results show extreme levels of water insecurity, especially in rural areas, and indicate a close relationship between water security and social capital as indicated in the earlier study. Livelihood diversity does not appear to influence water security but households with higher numbers of livestock tend to be more water insecure than households with smaller herds. This is supported by reports from women that the additional burden of watering homestead-based livestock makes them more vulnerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Milk consumption in Kenya supersedes other countries in East Africa. However, milk contamination with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is common, but the magnitude of this exposure and the health risks are poorly understood and need to be monitored routinely. This study aimed at assessing the awareness, knowledge and practices of urban and peri-urban farmers about aflatoxins and determining the levels of aflatoxin contamination in on-farm milk in a selected area within Nairobi County. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess aflatoxin contamination levels of milk in Kasarani sub-county. A total of 84 milk samples were collected from small-holder dairy farms and analyzed for AFM1 using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Results and Discussion: Ninety nine percent of the samples (83/84) analysed were contaminated with AFM1. The mean aflatoxin level was 84 ng/kg with 64% of the samples exceeding the EU legal limit of 50 ng/kg. Whereas 80% of the farmers were aware of aflatoxin, there was no correlation between farmers' knowledge and gender with AFM1 prevalence. Conclusion: This study concludes that AFM1 is a frequent contaminant in milk and there is need to enhance farmers awareness on mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East African pastoralism faces complex challenges. Responses include diversification and intensification strategies. Herd size as a measure of pastoral 'wealth' is hypothesised as insufficient to reflect emergent patterns of wellbeing. Wealth distributions of Maasai households are compared across four wealth metrics - highlighting different socio-economic criteria. Using Kappa statistics, a TLU-based 'wealth' distribution is compared to measures of: 1) qualitative wealth; 2) improved-breed TLUs; and 3) diversified wealth. Livestock remain important within this system. Trajectories of diversification and intensification for wealthy versus poor pastoral households emerged. Mixed methods for assessing wealth are necessary to understand livelihood changes and better target development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The value of pastoralism practiced in Kenya is not well appreciated, even though it is said to be enormous. The available statistics tend to underestimate this value from the point of view of its contribution to the local and national economies, due to the inadequacy of data and application of inappropriate valuation methodologies. This study analysed the contribution of pastoralism to Kenya's national economy, using the total economic value (TEV) approach and by considering the traditional and non-traditional pastoral values. Secondary data were collected on livestock population, herd composition and structure, honey, beeswax, firewood, fishing and tourism. The findings of this study show that Kenya's pastoral sector has an economic worth of US$1.13 billion with the livestock sector and non-livestock sector accounting for 92% (US$1.04 billion) and 8% (US$0.0903 billion), respectively. The annual national pastoral livestock offtake was valued at US$0.189 billion, while annual meat offtake was estimated at 154,968 tonnes, valued at US$0.389 billion. The national annual meat consumption was estimated at 553,200 tonnes, of which pastoral meat contributed 154,968 tonnes or 28%. The TEV approach integrates the many aspects of economic value contributed by pastoral systems, including market and non-market goods and services that are usually not accounted for. An accurate estimate of the contribution of pastoral production can be instrumental in lobbying for enhanced investment in the pastoral areas to boost environmentally sound development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]