Goat Improvement Project

Tharaka is classified as an ASAL area and thus favors goat rearing. Most homesteads own goats which they greatly depend for source of income for food, clothing, medication and education. The most common breed of goats reared by most farmers are the local small goats which often fetch lower prices in the market and also take long to grow and reach market price.

KENDAT designed a project to improve the breed of the local goats in order to increase the incomes of these households, by supporting them with more adaptable and fast growing Galla bucks which fetch higher prices in the market. This in turn enables them to pay for veterinary services and buy feeds for their donkeys to improve their welfare.

In partnership with the Sheep and Goats centre, Kamarandi, Gatunga, Kathangachini and Kamanyeki groups which comprise of 110 donkey owners have benefited from the project through trainings on goat breeding strategies, good husbandry practices and fodder production. Kamarandi group for instance was supported with five Galla bucks and they have multiplied their herds from initial 26 to 224 goats.