Kenya Moves to Digital Animal IDs to Curb Livestock Theft

Kenya is pushing ahead with a nationwide digital identification system for cattle, goats and sheep to help tackle livestock theft and improve animal tracking.

Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe is championing the rollout of the Animal Identification and Traceability System, ANITRAC. The system gives each animal a unique identity and creates a digital record covering its ownership, origin, health status, vaccination history and movements.

Animals can be identified using visual ear tags and microchips, with their information stored on a central digital platform. Authorised officials, veterinarians, traders and abattoirs can use the records to verify an animal’s history and ownership.

Kagwe says every Kenyan animal should have an identity and traceable history to strengthen livestock management, disease surveillance and food safety.

The move comes as livestock theft and cattle rustling continue to affect farmers and pastoralists in parts of Kenya, causing major financial losses.

ANITRAC could also help prevent stolen animals from entering formal markets by flagging animals with missing or conflicting records.

The system is expected to support disease control by helping authorities trace infected animals and their movements.

The government also hopes the system will help Kenya meet international market requirements for proof of animal origin and health.

Kagwe has urged farmers to combine traceability with better genetics, nutrition, insurance and climate-smart livestock production.