Uasin Gishu unveils Kenya's first E-voucher system for livestock vaccination

Uasin Gishu County has launched the country's first-ever e-voucher program for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and East Coast Fever (ECF) vaccination as a way of transforming animal health management in Kenya.

According to Governor Jonathan Bii, the initiative's new animal vaccine system will allow farmers to redeem digital vouchers for livestock vaccines, similar to the system currently used for fertilizer distribution.

Bii said the program will be implemented through local cooperatives, starting with the Tuiyotich Cooperative Society.

In the exercise, each vaccinated animal will be assigned a digital ID, enabling traceability and linking them to both vaccinators and agripreneurs involved in the rollout.

“The animal vaccine project which is scheduled to start at Sergoit Ward which is among the six sub-counties will improve cases of stealing of animals which have been a problem for decades in the country,” said Bii

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The county boss also maintained that the innovation is expected to enhance disease control and monitoring while empowering local farmers through more efficient service delivery.

Speaking during the launch in Eldoret, Bii praised the project as a proactive step toward tackling livestock diseases in the county.

“We have started this animal vaccine project because it is one way of ensuring better health for our animals and improving productivity for our farmers and for that reason, I humbly urge all of you to support me if you want to build this nation economically,” he added.

Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr Kiprono Rono who graced the occasion described the initiative as a game-changer.

He urged Kenyans to come up with such development projects claiming that President Willian Ruto’s government is keen on ensuring the country prospers further from where it was economically.

“Uasin Gishu is once again showing leadership in agricultural innovation, this e-voucher system also speaks directly to our mission under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda to modernize and digitize services for farmers at the grassroots.” The PS said

Rono noted that apart from Uasin Gishu the program should expand the animal vaccine system across the county, with lessons from the pilot informing broader implementation.