Kiambu has recorded about 1,470 pig deaths from African Swine Fever (ASF), with more than 20 farms affected since mid-May as the Government steps up efforts to contain the highly contagious disease.
The outbreak has also been reported in six other counties, raising concern over further spread and the threat to livestock farmers and their livelihoods.
The Department of Veterinary Services said major ASF outbreaks have been recorded in Tharaka-Nithi, Busia, Embu, Kakamega, Homa Bay and Migori.
Tharaka-Nithi recorded 108 cases and 97 deaths between January 5 and 11, 2026, highlighting the extent of the disease threat in affected areas.
In response, the Government has increased livestock disease surveillance, prevention and control measures to limit new infections and contain existing outbreaks.
An update from the Department of Veterinary Services to the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee (BCOCC), chaired by Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, said authorities are also monitoring the movement of livestock and pastoralist communities across international borders.
The Government said controlling cross-border livestock movement is important because seasonal migration can contribute to the spread of animal diseases and make outbreaks harder to contain.
Kenya is implementing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Protocol on Transhumance, which sets out measures for managing the seasonal movement of pastoralists and livestock across international borders.
The protocol covers three main pastoral clusters — Mandera, Karamoja and Mara-Serengeti.
The Mandera Cluster brings together Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, while the Karamoja Cluster includes Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda. The Mara-Serengeti Cluster connects Kenya and Tanzania.
National and sub-national authorities in the clusters are working with Cluster Committees representing cross-border communities to support safe and orderly livestock movement while improving disease prevention and control.
The measures include vaccination campaigns against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), as well as deworming and pest-control activities.
Authorities are also stepping up measures to control Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Karamoja Cluster.
The coordinated efforts are aimed at protecting livestock, farmers’ livelihoods and pastoralist communities while allowing seasonal migration and related economic activities to continue.
Kenya is also implementing the Pastoralism and Livestock Adaptation to Climate in Eastern Africa (PLACE) Programme, a €47 million initiative funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the European Union.
The programme is designed to strengthen the ability of pastoralist communities and livestock systems across Eastern Africa to cope with climate pressures.
It forms part of wider efforts to address livestock health risks linked to disease outbreaks, climate conditions and the movement of livestock across borders.
The intensified measures come as authorities seek to stop ASF from spreading further while also controlling other transboundary animal diseases and protecting established livestock movement routes.
The Ministry of Interior and National Administration said the measures are intended to prevent uncontrolled cross-border movement from weakening efforts to protect livestock health and contain animal diseases.