Kenya reports 1,470 pig deaths as African swine fever outbreaks continue

KENYA – Approximately 1,470 pigs have died from African swine fever (ASF) in Kiambu County since mid-year, with significant outbreaks also reported in six other counties, raising concerns over disease surveillance, livestock movement and losses among pig farmers.

According to the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), outbreaks have also been reported in Tharaka-Nithi, Busia, Embu, Kakamega, Homa Bay and Migori, with the government stepping up surveillance and response measures.

The latest figures were presented to the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee, chaired by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, as authorities strengthen measures to contain the disease and manage livestock movement.

In Tharaka-Nithi, 108 ASF cases and 97 deaths were recorded between 5 and 11 January, according to the DVS update reported by NTV Kenya.

The government is also tightening controls on livestock movement, including at Kenya’s international borders, as authorities seek to reduce the risk of further transmission between affected and unaffected areas.

Piglet programme comes under scrutiny

The Kiambu outbreak has also raised questions around the county government’s piglet distribution programme.

The Kiambu County Government has rejected any link between the programme and the ASF outbreak, saying piglets distributed through the initiative are sourced from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and meet established animal health and breeding standards.

The county described claims linking its piglet programme to the outbreak as false and misleading.

The development comes after the DVS intensified nationwide ASF control measures, including disease surveillance, farm biosecurity, animal movement controls and rapid response systems.

Previous DVS guidance has highlighted biosecurity as a key measure because ASF is a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs. 

The disease does not infect humans, but outbreaks can cause high mortality and significant economic losses across the pig value chain.

Kenya currently has no effective treatment or commercially available vaccine for the ASF virus strains circulating in the country, making early detection, movement controls, and farm-level biosecurity important to limiting transmission.

The latest outbreaks reinforce the need for pig farmers and other value-chain actors to report suspected cases promptly and comply with veterinary movement and disease-control measures.

The government is also implementing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) protocol on transhumance, which seeks to manage seasonal livestock movement across borders while strengthening disease prevention and control.

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