Executive Summary
Some time back, Imfuyo, in collaboration with the Narok County Government, initiated a comprehensive livestock transformation program. This partnership involved Pacific Insurance Brokers, Cooperative Bank, the Kenya Livestock Breeders Association, and organized farmer cooperatives. The initiative focused on advancing community-led education, data-driven livestock services, insurance adoption, and agri-financing across Narok County.
Watch on Youtube, the Narok County Government partnership with Imfuyo
Narok County Government partners with the private sector to empower livestock farmers
Through a structured two-week activation program, Imfuyo engaged over 500 livestock farmers from more than 200 organized groups, including dairy cooperatives, beef producer networks, CBOs, and independent farmers.
The field program spanned Narok South, East, and North — delivering hands-on training, profiling livestock, and piloting access to financial and insurance services.
1. Context: Livestock as Economic Infrastructure in Narok
Narok County hosts an estimated 1.3 million livestock, with beef cattle accounting for 75% of that number. Livestock serves as a primary asset class, a store of value, and the economic backbone of many households. Despite its centrality, livestock systems in Narok remain underfunded, under-recorded, and largely informal.
Imfuyo stepped in to help formalize, finance, and future-proof these systems — starting with the people themselves: the farmers.
2. Core Program Pillars
A. Community-Based Education (CBE)
Trainings delivered on:
- Animal health and nutrition
- Sustainable production practices
- Basic record keeping and livestock management
Conducted in partnership with Narok’s health department and local institutions, these sessions were designed for practicality and participation.
Outcome: Farmers were equipped with actionable knowledge and confidence to improve livestock outcomes and plan long-term.
B. Data Collection & Livestock Profiling
- Rolled out ear identification protocols designed to preserve skin quality for future leather value chains
- Farmers were introduced to simple data logs, tracking key metrics like birth, weight, health incidents, and sales
Purpose: Create a baseline dataset for every animal — enabling value-based credit scoring, insurance enrollment, and cooperative planning.
C. Livestock Insurance Integration
With Pacific Insurance Brokers, farmers were introduced to livestock insurance policies tailored for their risk realities — especially drought and disease. Education focused on claim procedures, cost-sharing models, and demystifying common misconceptions.
Barriers to uptake included low awareness, historical distrust, and affordability — clear signals for deeper policy design engagement.
D. Livestock-Backed Loans & Agri-Finance
Through stakeholder sessions with Cooperative Bank and microfinance players, farmers explored asset-based lending using their livestock.
Discussions focused on:
- Credit products aligned with seasonal cash flows
- Risk-sharing frameworks between institutions and county authorities
Farmers showed willingness to embrace structured finance, provided the terms respected their production realities.
3. Observations from the Field
Key learnings drawn from over 500 direct farmer engagements:
Despite these challenges, farmer appetite for growth, systems, and support was evident and consistent.
4. Strategic Recommendations
Localize CBE Programs Across Counties
Institutionalize farmer education through county extension offices and vetted partner NGOs.
Develop County-Level Livestock Databases
Begin with ear-tagging, tie to mobile-enabled data platforms, and link to vet, finance, and cooperative systems.
De-risk Livestock Insurance for First-Time Users
Explore subsidies, bundled products (insurance + veterinary), and hybrid coverage with donor participation.
Design Livestock-Backed Credit Frameworks
Use verified livestock data as collateral, anchored by cooperative or county guarantees.
Strengthen Farmer Cooperatives
Use them as financial access points, training platforms, and market aggregation hubs.
5. Conclusion: Moving from Potential to Policy
The Narok activation proved a key truth — rural livestock farmers are not resistant to structure; they are under-engaged by it. With the right partnerships, practical education, and data-driven tools, livestock can shift from subsistence to scalable enterprise.
Imfuyo is committed to deepening this model, county by county, farmer by farmer — building bridges between knowledge, data, and finance to redefine livestock economies from the ground up.