Elgeyo Marakwet county government has embarked on the distribution Galla goats to farmers to empower them economically and end overreliance on crop production.
Governor Wisley Rotich said this is part of his administration's efforts to improve livestock breeds in the region for better household incomes in farming communities.
"Galla goats are known for their fast maturity. In around six months, they can attain good market prices, compared to local breeds that take up to one year and give birth twice a year," Rotich said.
"This translates to faster income and direct improvement of livelihoods and this is what our wealth strategy aims," said Rotich who oversaw the distribution of the goats at Soy North and Tambach wards yesterday.
More than 1,000 farmers in Kerio Valley will benefit from the project by the end of the year which is expected to boost milk production.
Rotich said the initiative is part of the economic empowerment programmes set to benefit residents in the semi-arid region.
Most farmers have received the goats whose milk production capacity is between 3.8 and five litres per day with most of the beneficiaries being the youth and women groups.
"We call our people to focus on farm practices that are not capital and labour intensive to improve their income," the governor said.
He noted that goat milk is on high demand in the country with a litre currently going for Sh200 due to its high nutritional value.
Residents have welcomed the initiative which they said will also help curb rampant cases of insecurity in the region.
"Armed bandits from neighbouring communities have been raiding us and stealing our local livestock breeds. This will be impossible with the Galla goats which cannot walk long distances," said James Rono, a Tambach ward resident.
Many parts of the North Rift region especially Kerio Valley, have not known peace for the last two years which has resulted in the death of hundreds of people.
More than 100 people including security personnel, were killed last year alone, prompting the government to term six banditry-prone counties among them Turkana, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Laikipia and Samburu as 'disturbed and dangerous'.
It then rolled out a massive security operation to restore calm in the area coordinated by police and assisted by the military.
