Kenya: Kiambu Defends Piglet Programme As Swine Fever Kills 1,470 Pigs

African Swine Fever Outbreak Kills 1,470 Pigs Across Kiambu Farms

An outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) has killed about 1,470 pigs on more than 20 farms in the county since mid-May, according to the Kiambu County Government. The outbreak has been reported mainly in Juja, Thika and Ruiru. Farmers in Kiambu continued to count losses from the highly contagious disease, with some herds suffering mortality rates of up to 100 per cent, and the scale of the losses has left some farmers facing the collapse of businesses they had built over several years.

In one case, a farmer in neighbouring Ruai lost all 156 pigs in about 72 hours, putting his losses at nearly Sh3 million. Peter Gitonga Kimani said the herd represented years of investment and was his family’s main source of income.

I had 156 pigs and during this day on 24th June 2026 my farm was hit by the African swine flu and I lost all my stock, Kimani said.

Peter Gitonga Kimani

The losses have raised concerns among pig farmers over the future of the industry, with some holding back from restocking. More than 1,470 pigs have died in Kiambu County following an outbreak of African Swine Fever that has affected more than 20 farms since mid-May 2026, as the government steps up surveillance and measures to contain the spread of the disease across the country. The Department of Veterinary Services says significant outbreaks have also been reported in Tharaka Nithi, Busia, Embu, Kakamega, Homa Bay and Migori, raising concerns over livestock movement and the growing losses facing pig farmers. The situation has been particularly severe in Tharaka Nithi, where 108 cases and 97 deaths were recorded between January 5 and 11, 2026, according to an update presented to the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee chaired by Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo. The government has since heightened its response, with authorities strengthening disease surveillance and tightening controls on the movement of livestock, including at Kenya’s international borders.

County Officials Defend the Wamatangi Piglet Distribution Initiative

The Kiambu County Government has rejected claims linking its piglet distribution programme to the outbreak of African Swine Fever, saying cases detected months ago had been contained and no new cases reported. Chief Officer for Agriculture John Ngigi Kuria said the county had taken disease surveillance and control measures seriously and that cases reported earlier had been dealt with by veterinary authorities. Kuria said attempts to link the disease to the county’s piglet distribution programme were misleading and amounted to politicising an agricultural empowerment initiative that had benefited thousands of young people and households across the county.

The Kiambu outbreak has put the county government’s piglet distribution programme under scrutiny, with questions emerging over whether animals distributed to farmers could have contributed to the spread of ASF. The county government has, however, rejected any link between its programme and the outbreak, terming such claims false and misleading. Responding to claims that animals distributed through its programme could have contributed to the outbreak, the county said all piglets supplied to beneficiaries are sourced from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), a government-owned agricultural research institution. It said the programme, spearheaded by Governor Kimani Wamatangi, operates in partnership with KALRO and that the animals are sourced from the organisation under established animal health and breeding standards.

Kuria said the piglet distribution programme had been implemented through established animal health procedures, with the animals sourced from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), a government research institution with established standards for livestock breeding and management. Kuria said the disease was not confined to the county and had also been reported in other parts of the country. Kuria said the reports had been seized upon by some politicians seeking to discredit the piglet distribution programme, which he said had continued to deliver benefits to young people and transform livelihoods.

The programme is part of Governor Kimani Wamatangi’s wider agricultural empowerment initiatives targeting young people and households through livestock and other forms of agribusiness. Beneficiaries receive piglets as starter stock, with the county providing extension services and technical support to help them establish sustainable enterprises. The initiative has grown into one of the county’s flagship youth empowerment programmes, with beneficiaries expected to multiply the animals and gradually build viable pig farming enterprises. According to the county, all piglets distributed under the programme are sourced from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and are therefore expected to meet established animal health and breeding standards. As the county stated:

Therefore, attempts to link the Kiambu County Government piglets programme to the outbreak of African Swine Fever is directly saying KALRO, which is a national government-owned agricultural research institution, is distributing infected animals.

Kiambu County Government Statement