NAIROBI, Kenya, October 20 – The proposed Livestock Bill, 2026, seeks to establish a dedicated fund, new regulatory bodies and a separate research agency to strengthen Kenya’s livestock industry, improve market access and increase the value of livestock products.

The Bill proposes a Livestock Sector Transformation Fund to finance development programmes, respond to livestock disasters, support trade and agro-processing, and help stabilise prices.

The fund would be administered by the Principal Secretary responsible for livestock development and financed through parliamentary allocations, regulatory levies, fees, grants and investment income.

“The Livestock Sector Transformation Fund will support strategic programmes, mitigate livestock disasters, finance trade, facilitate agro-processing and stabilization of prices,” the Bill states.

The proposed law also seeks to establish the Livestock Inputs and Products Regulatory Authority to replace the National Livestock Development and Promotion Service.

The authority would regulate animal feeds, livestock equipment, genetic resources and other production inputs, while overseeing subsectors such as poultry, pig farming and apiculture.

The Bill further proposes separating livestock research from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) by establishing the Kenya Livestock Research Organization.

The new institution would provide a dedicated framework for livestock research, with implementation expected to determine how existing programmes, resources and responsibilities are transferred.

Another proposed institution is the Livestock and Livestock Products Marketing Board, which would coordinate market intelligence, trade promotion, export financing and infrastructure development.

The board would support facilities such as export processing zones, cold-storage infrastructure and livestock holding centres to improve the handling and marketing of animals and livestock products in domestic and international markets.

The Bill also proposes replacing the Kenya Leather Development Council with the Kenya Leather Development Authority. The authority would regulate businesses across the leather value chain, develop leather industrial parks and support small and medium-sized enterprises through initiatives such as technology incubation.

The proposals come as Kenya seeks to increase the commercial value of livestock production, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas where pastoralism supports household incomes and livelihoods.