Samburu East residents receive camels

Fresh hope was rekindled among residents of Samburu East subcounty as they received 109 Somali-breed camels in efforts to strengthen their resilience against shocks posed by climate change.

Speaking during the distribution exercise at Golgotim village on Friday, Samburu governor Lati Lelelit said that the camel is a source of livelihood for many pastoral families in Samburu county because of its high milk yield and ability to thrive in arid conditions.

Lelelit noted that the camel directly targets nutritional gaps at the household level and income instability worsened by recurring drought conditions.

“This is more than livestock support because every camel distributed is a classroom for our children, a pharmacy for our elders, and a bank for our families. This is how we fight poverty and build dignity for our people,” he said.

The governor said that the program now heads to Wamba North Ward, where an additional 50 camels will be handed over to households selected through a community vetting process.

The County Chief Officer for Livestock Production and Animal Health, Saiwana Lekerpes, said that all the animals were vetted, vaccinated, and certified before distribution to ensure community impact.

Lekerpes noted that the project is part of a broader climate-smart livelihood strategy of distributing 1,000 camels to vulnerable households every financial year.

The Samburu County government described the program as part of its commitment to “delivering livelihoods that last” for pastoral communities facing climate and economic pressures.

by Robert Githu