Makueni Bets Big on Poultry Farming: A Fresh Look at the Mifugo ni Mali Initiative
Boldly stepping forward, Makueni County is expanding its poultry sector with the ambitious Mifugo ni Mali project, unveiled at the Agricultural Training Centre in Kwakathoka. Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili led the launch, highlighting a strong collaboration with the KCB Foundation that aims to elevate poultry farming through comprehensive farmer training, ongoing coaching, mentoring, and regular farm inspections to maintain quality and sustainability.
At the event, 17 farmers — including women, youth, and people with disabilities — each received 300 vaccinated one-day-old chicks to launch or grow their poultry ventures. This kickoff aligns with a Memorandum of Understanding between the County Government of Makueni and the KCB Foundation, which focuses on supporting the growth of small and medium enterprises via business development with the goal of creating wealth and jobs, especially for women and young people.
Under the partnership, the county government will sustain extension services, provide veterinary support, and ensure access to the existing cold chain and vaccine-handling infrastructure. This will bolster production and disease control at the grassroots level.
Deputy Governor Mulili noted that poultry farming is the county’s most widespread livestock enterprise, with roughly 85 percent of farmers rearing poultry. County statistics validated in 2023 show the poultry subsector was valued at KSh 3.77 billion in 2022 and supported by an estimated 1.57 million birds. She emphasized that this represents a 55 percent growth since 2013, underscoring poultry’s rising role in household income and food and nutrition security.
Elizabeth Muli, the County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, highlighted ongoing efforts to transform poultry production. Initiatives include boosting local chicken productivity from an average of 45–60 eggs per hen per year to a range of 120–180 eggs. Additionally, more than 240 incubators are currently operational across the county, producing between 100 and 1,056 chicks per cycle. A total of 476 village-level vaccination service providers have been trained and equipped to strengthen disease control.
This alliance with the KCB Foundation is expected to accelerate growth across the poultry value chain, improve supply and market linkages for inputs, and raise incomes and livelihoods for farming households throughout Makueni. Key attendees included Cleophas Ambira, KCB Kenya Human Resources Manager, and area MCA Elizabeth Mutinda, who joined the launch to show broad support for the initiative.
