Makueni County government has started a vaccination exercise against contagious diseases targeting 200,000 livestock.

According to Makueni County Executive Committee (CEC) member in charge of Agriculture, livestock, Fisheries, Irrigation and Cooperative development, Joyce Mutua, the vaccination will be against foot-and-mouth disease and Lumpy skin disease in cattle while sheep and goats will be vaccinated for pneumonia and goat plague.

Additionally, she said the vaccination exercise aims at increasing the household incomes of dairy farmers in the area through the reduction of livestock diseases.

“We are implementing this programme in partnership with Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society Limited which aims at increasing household incomes of dairy farmers in the county by livestock diseases,” said

The vaccination will be launched on Wednesday at Kathonzweni by the Mutua.

According to Mutua, the cooperative society gathers the targeted animals for immunisation while the county provides the vaccines and staff.

She continued by noting that the department is educating farmers on the prevention of livestock diseases and advised them to sign up their animals for vaccinations.

The exercise will last through the end of March, and the cattle will be vaccinated at the preferred central location as well as at farmers' houses, according to the statement.